Forever Bound
by Moonlight Destiny2
Summary: Inuyasha and SM Crossover. The attack on the Moon Kingdom was early and Serenity was sent to a time where she didn't belong. Unable to get home, she is now trapped in the feudal era. When the threads of destiny become tangled, can they ever be undone?
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, but any ideas in this story, other than most characters and their backgrounds, belong in their entirety to me.

Queen Serenity studied the documents in front of her warily, shuffling through them with a disgusted look on her face before letting them rest in a disorganized pile on her desk. This week's reports were less then thrilling, even worse than those that had come the month before when the mines collapsed on Saturn. It seemed that everybody out there needed some sort of financial aid and had some terrible crisis going on these days. Frowning, Serenity pushed her chair away from her desk and stood swiftly; crossing to the office door in hurried strides and swinging it open as though she were desperate for an escape from reality. One look at the surprised secretary outside of her door however, stopped her in mid stride and brought her back to her senses. It was all well and good to want a break, but as Queen of the Silver Millennium she had any number of responsibilities that came first. Smiling almost apologetically to Telulu, who still stared at her in wonder, Serenity wordlessly turned back into her office and shut the door.

This room was easily one of thousands in the palace, made with the same patience and attention to beauty and detail as all the rest. Smooth white marble flecked with thin veins of silver made up its walls, stretching up to a well rounded dome ringed in gold, separating the marble from the midnight blue of the ceiling. The same thin gold design ran across the edges along the floor, meshing into a comfortable looking crème coloured carpet. Silver sconces were fixed into them, each fixed atop with a pale golden globe that gave off any light there was to be had. There were no windows in this office, but at the very back thick velvet midnight blue curtains draped over the entire wall, silver stars embroidered onto them in a non-constant design, as if to hide the fact there was only one way out. A large book case made of polished redwood covered another wall, various leather bound books and odds and ends scattered along its shelves, kept in a hazardous type of order. The desk in the centre near the back was made of the same wood, almost buried in paperwork despite its massive size, and the huge leather chair behind it looked anything but inviting at the moment. On the only empty wall, a blank screen the size of a small tapestry seemed to hover, not touching the wall but merely millimetres away from its surface. Queen Serenity stepped away from the door hesitantly and made her way back to her chair, shaking her head in dismay. This room was made to be beautiful and comforting, but to her it was more like a well disguised prison. Her prison.

Things in the Silver Millennium were falling apart at the edges, eroding away bit by bit. After so many years of hard work and compromise, things had finally began to turn for the worst, and it was all Queen Serenity could do not to react in a slightly less dignified matter then she was allowed. Turmoil was stirring up on the planets; one by one reports were filing in describing some tragedy or some major problem that she was finding difficult to make up for. Fights were breaking out among the commoners of every kingdom over the most petty things, the weather had turned foul causing many crops to become barren and produce a food shortage, money had become tight from the commoners sudden panicked shopping spree for useless things they thought could help their lives along, and no matter what she did she knew that nothing would help. There was something dark out there, whispering into the ears of those who would listen and poisoning their minds. War was laying its shadow over the Silver Millennium. A war she knew was going to bring the end of its glorious days.

Resting her elbows on the top of her desk, Serenity lowered her head sadly and idly began massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers. She should have caught this earlier. She should have known that her caution had slipped badly. She had let herself become too comfortable and so had never thought anything could turn so sour on her this fast. Closing her eyes, she subconsciously began humming the tune she used to sing her daughter to sleep, all these thoughts and worries turning her mind to absolute mush. Straightening in her chair, Serenity gazed over the documents covering her desk distantly. She wouldn't be able to work on these in her present state. She needed to relax a little and clear her head. Once more rising from her seat, the queen crossed to her door more slowly and warily then the last time, placing her hand on its silver handle hesitantly. Something felt wrong. It was too silent on the other side. Looking around her office once more, Serenity's hand clutched the handle tighter and she pulled it down. There was nothing for it. This was the only way out. Expectantly, she swung the door open, frozen warily where she stood.

Nothing. There was no one in the adjoining office. This however, brought Serenity little comfort then she would have thought. Telulu wasn't in the office either. A pen still lay across the top of the desks neatly organized pile of documents, marks halfway down the page where Telulu had been highlighting the important stuff, as she usually did so that her queen wouldn't have to read every little detail. Telulu would never have left something half done. Despite her worries, Serenity could find no signs of struggle from where she stood, nor any other out of place detail. Frowning, she made her way through the doorway and into the room, her chest seeming to tighten and her hands fisted into her dress, holding the skirt up a bit so she wouldn't step on it. Her unease was as alarming to her as if she would have found a corpse, because she knew it wasn't there for no reason. Most Lunarians were slightly more in tune with their surroundings, being able to feel the vibes put off by any living thing within miles. Right now all she could read in the air was danger.

Her throat seemed to tighten until it was hard to breath, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears as her eyes widened and fear came over her. Her daughter. Her sweet Serenity might be in trouble. Caution was swept aside as the queen boldly ran to the door leading to one of the palaces main corridors, flinging it open and bounding out the door and down the left side, her eyes fixed straight ahead. In her peripheral vision arched windows and colourful tapestries rushed past in a blur, but not once did she notice any guards. The only sound down the corridor she ran was that of her own heeled shoes hitting the floor. Panic was barely kept at bay as the end of the corridor came up, branching off to the left or right. Skidding to a halt, Serenity twisted her body to go down the left, barely keeping her feet as her own speed proved too much for her. The same thing greeted her eyes as before, no guards stood at any door.

She couldn't understand it, there were no signs of struggle, no bodies, and no alarm had been given. Where was everyone and why had they all left in such a hurry? The only explanation was that somebody had infiltrated the palace, but even then how had they gotten everybody to leave their posts, and so silently at that. Behind her in the corridor she had just left, a crashing sound echoed towards her, the sound of splintering wood and the globes that gave off light exploding. She could only guess that someone had found her office, but her pace merely quickened. She had to reach her daughter. Serenity's thighs burned with the effort she was putting into them, her feet throbbing in pain due to the heels she wore, but to remove them would have her stumbling over the skirt of her dress, and besides, she wouldn't have the time. There was only a few feet left to go, and then she would calm down enough to think. Everything rushed past in a blur until finally, she skidded to a halt and threw open the large double doors leading into the princess' room.

Princess Serenity was there, sleepily rising from her bed to blink in confusion at her mother. The queen ignored her daughter for the moment, examining the room warily. The only light that filtered in illuminated the bed, coming from the large balcony doors that Princess Serenity always left open so that she look out at Earth when she couldn't sleep. Everything else was dark, but there was no sense of danger here. Still.

"Mother?" Queen Serenity frowned and calmly closed the door, not bothering to turn on the lights before crossing over to her daughter's dresser and rummaging through the items on top until she found what she was looking for. The princess watched her in mounting concern, not knowing what to do. From the other side of the door, they both faintly heard another crash, which obviously proved the queen's pursuer had no intention of giving up yet. By now, Princess Serenity had thrown off her pure white silk covers and had gotten out of bed, lifting the skirt of her night dress slightly while she hurriedly put on her slippers. She may not have understood what was happening, but for one so young, even she could feel the danger in the air and her mother's need. Queen Serenity had now crossed to the large wardrobe in her daughter's room, throwing out a dark cloak and a few other items of clothing and wrapping them into a bundle, the item she had grabbed from the dresser plus a few more tightly wrapped in the middle. Securing it with a silver cord she had unknotted from around her waist so that it would stay wrapped, yet leaving a length of cord free, she swiftly went to her daughter and grabbed her hand, pulling her out onto the balcony and into the shadows without missing a beat.

"Listen to me Serenity." Her voice was a low whisper, commanding yet tight with fear and concern. Even as she spoke, her eyes kept straying to the bedroom door. "Listen well. The Silver Millennium is over, and our time here in the moon kingdom has come to an end for this age." The princess opened her mouth as if to protest, but Queen Serenity merely pressed her finger over her lips, shaking her head sadly. "Even you must have known that things could never stay as they were forever. I know it; for you are more observant and smarter then you give yourself credit for or make yourself appear. War is brewing my daughter, such a one that has not been seen since the time of our own grandmothers, and it is too late now to stop the evil that has been brewing from beneath our very noses. If the planetary powers were united, then perhaps there could be hope, but the inner planets have only just arrived on earth for training for the span of two weeks, and no one has heard from two of the outer planet powers for years. There is no telling what is going on within the other kingdoms, but it may be that this thing has not spread as far as I fear it yet. As a central figure to the Silver Millennium, it can be assumed the first wave has hit us alone, they've come to wipe out our royal line." Princess Serenity now had tears streaking down pale cheeks, understanding everything her mother said, including the things she didn't.

"What will we do, mother? What can we possibly do?" Her own voice was soft, yet strained with the effort of remaining calm. The Queen was now pressing the bundled cloak into her hands, slinging the loose end of the cord over one shoulder and under the opposite arm so it could be carried easily and fastening it tightly. At the moment her own hands touched the velvet of the cloak, her eyes widened and she began to feel panicked, guessing what her mother intended.

"There is little that can be done. Serenity," The queen now had her daughters face cupped in her hands, tears of her own shimmering in her eyes, "you must go to Earth to King Amadais and tell him what has befallen us." Princess Serenity's own hands fastened around her mothers wrists and she began to sob, pleading for her mother not to stay here while she was sent away, promising that they could survive if they stayed together. The queen shook her head and pressed her forehead to her daughters, her bottom lip trembling slightly as she tried to block out her daughters pleas and continue. "Listen to me! Go to Amadais and warn him what is coming! He will know what is to be done. Do not let this be in vain, Serenity, they must know! Two weeks later and we'd have been on our way there anyway to introduce you to your guardians. They will all know you for who and what you are, even without me by your side." Sighing, she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, resting her cheek on the princess' head with her eyes closed, a solitary tear escaping her eye. "You have been tutored well, and I do not fear you will not find your way, yet I wish with all my heart you did not have to be alone. Oh dear Serenity, my heart will always be with you, never once doubt it. I will watch over you and one day, no matter what happens here, we will meet again. I swear it!" Princess Serenity was sobbing in anguish, clinging to her mother and trying to form words that could not be understood through her tears.

On the opposite end of her room, the doors to the hallway burst open in a shower of splintered wood, exploding inward with enough force to have chips of wood flying through the balcony doors. Princess Serenity screamed in fright, clasping her hands over her ears and barely noticing her mother had pushed her away and had summoned the moon staff. A soft glow surrounded her and her skin began to tingle, causing her to open her eyes just in time to see her mother chanting the last sentence of a transport spell before spinning the staff and slamming it back to the floor. Serenity screamed again, reaching a hand out to Queen Serenity, her fingertips brushing against her mother's hand at the exact moment the staff slammed against the floor and she disappeared completely, with only crystal tears falling to the floor to ever mark she had been there. A shadow slid into the room and Queen Serenity turned to face it grimly, already chanting another spell, a ward to shield her from having the shadow get too close.

Even as she formed her protection, she doubted it would last more than a few minutes against a foe such as what she faced.

A.N: Please review me and tell me whether or not you think I should continue developing this story. I'd really like to hear what you guys think.


	2. First Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Sailor Moon. This chapter's kinda short but I've got homework to do.

--

The earth was damp; the grass glistening in the moonlight with tiny crystals of water perched on their stalks. Princess Serenity was huddled to the base of a massive tree, shivering slightly with every rustle of the wind. She was in the middle of some kind of forest, and there was a hazy gloom around her that made it difficult to pick out any details. Her cheeks were still damp with tears, and the look on her face was absolutely tragic. The kind of look that would break your heart had you been present to see it. She didn't know where she was or how to get to where she was supposed to be, but she knew that she was alone. She knew her mother was probably dead. She knew that something was terribly wrong with this forest.

There were no sounds. All she could hear was her own breathing and the periodic rustling of the wind through leaves. Where were all the animals? Drawing in a shaky breath, Serenity took off the bundled up cloak and undid the cords that bound it to see what had been placed inside.

Smoothing out the cloak on the ground, she carefully removed items from it one by one. A long, heavy white woolen shirt with flared sleeves that looked more like a short dress when it was on her, a pair of billowy black miko style pants, a thick, black leather wristband that Serenity had been taught to use to help focus on when practicing guard spells, a small silver brush, and finally a relatively large multi-faceted crystal hanging from a silver chain. Serenity held the latter up and bit her lip to keep from crying again. Her mother had given her the Silver Imperium Crystal. Sighing, she placed the jewel around her neck, put on the wristband, wrapped everything else back up in her cloak and placed it off to the side.

If she had the crystal than that meant that her mother didn't have anything but her own powers to help her. As strong as the queen was, there's no way it would be enough to defend against whatever had put her in such a fright. Serenity wanted to do nothing more then cry at that moment. To grieve for her loss of a mother and a home, to alleviate her fear all alone out here in this strange forest, to take pity on herself and on her situation... Nothing would please her more then to sit at the base of this tree in her nightgown and slippers and let it all out until she was too weak to move. But she hadn't been raised like that. She was supposed to be stronger than that. And even if she was filled with turmoil and confusion on the inside, that didn't mean she had to show it on the outside. She had to remember that she was supposed to be a leader. Once again she studied her surroundings, this time taking every detail into account.

The grass was very tall and the trees were close together, weaving a dark green canopy above her that gave everything a sheltered kind of feeling. Patches of moonlight danced across the ground whenever a branch swayed, and the fog was thicker off to her left then it was to her right. That must mean that to her left there was water, and to her right was a clearing. Serenity sighed once more and listened intently. Nothing. There weren't any animals in this forest, and she nervously kept herself from trying to think on why that might be. Here and there she spotted a few vines, but other than that, nothing more was to be seen. It seemed like this place had been abandoned and had grown over, like an old forgotten attic layered with dust. If this forest was abandoned, then it probably would be best for her to start moving.

Standing stiffly, Serenity grabbed her bundled cloak and began to hesitantly walk. She decided that she would go straight in front of her, avoiding both the water and the clearing for now. It was such an odd feeling, being alone. She had never been alone before in her entire life. She had pretended that there had been times when she had managed to elude the palace guards and was free from prying eyes, but she knew that it had never been so. She knew this because at this very moment, when it was a certainty that all she had was herself, she was scared. And she had never been scared before.

Wearily, Serenity lifted her face to the sky, catching small glimpses of stars as she passed under the trees. They looked different to her down here. Farther away. She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat, closing her eyes and continuing on without opening them again. Every tree she passed, every root she stepped over didn't need to be seen with her eyes to be avoided. She could feel them, like tiny little souls, and stay out of their way. A useful little trick that everybody had, but few knew how to use.

To keep herself from thinking about things too clearly, Serenity started to hum the song her mother had always used to put her to sleep. It was calming and she needed to hear something, even if it was her own voice. The silence was unbearable. The forest seemed to vibrate with her as humming turned into singing, and an echo accompanied her that made her suddenly feel like she wasn't so alone after all. It didn't matter that she was making a lot of noise that anyone could follow, because there wasn't anyone to hear it in the first place. Everything seemed to melt away into a bad dream, and she became numb to it all. It wasn't real anymore.

Serenity walked for what seemed like hours, drifting into silence and opening her eyes somewhere along the way. What few things she carried seemed to get heavier with every step. She was getting tired, but she didn't want to sleep in this forest. No matter how long it took her to get out of it. She guessed that she could have gone into the clearing off to her side, but what good would that have done? It would only expose her to anything and everything out there. No, it wasn't that she just didn't want to sleep in the forest; she didn't want to sleep outside period. What she wanted was to find somebody. Find a village. Find a place where her safety wasn't in question. Even if she had stopped in the forest, it was unlikely she would have drifted off anyway. Nobody slept well when it was their first night away from home.

Up ahead Serenity could make out something red through the fog. Too large to be any kind of vegetation. Through lack of any sort of caution on her part, she simply walked straight to it, stopping in shock when it came into view. Her cloak fell to the ground from nerveless fingers.

In front of her stood the most massive tree she had ever seen, its roots twisted and gnarled around its base. Atop the highest root, a man dressed in red was pinned to the trunk by an arrow through his chest. Serenity edged slowly forward, close enough to see that it wasn't actually a man, but something that closely resembled one. The ends of his fingers and toes had claws instead of nails, and he had long thick silver hair that went past the small of his back, which wasn't a trait for male humans so far as she remembered. Not to mention the fact that he had a set of silver pointed ears atop his head.

Carefully, Serenity climbed up the protruding root until she stood in front of him. He was at least half a foot taller then her, and had a dark complexion that looked good with his light hair. Experimentally, she reached out and touched his face. His skin was soft. Hesitantly, her hands slid up to touch one of his ears, her fingers barely brushing against them. They too were soft, and unusually warm. He didn't appear to be alive. Looking down at the arrow, Serenity let both hands grasp it firmly. Whoever had done this obviously left him for dead, and it looked as though he had been abandoned as so long ago. It wouldn't be right for her to leave him there like this. Bracing herself, she gritted her teeth and pulled with all her might. There was a flash of light and Serenity cried out in shock, stumbling backwards over the edge of the root, arrow in hand.

It wasn't a very high fall, but it hurt all the same, and Serenity lay on the ground unmoving and winded, little spots of light dancing around her vision. Her fingers twitched open and the arrow rolled onto the ground beside her. After a few moments, Serenity rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up, coming to her feet and leaning against the tree root. What the hell had that flash of light been from? The arrow in front of her feet looked perfectly normal, and yet she could sense something about it. Something not quite right. Leaving it where it was, she turned and climbed back up to the base of the tree where the body had been pinned.

It was now slumped down in a sitting position, its face hidden by its hair. Serenity walked over and kneeled before it, her hand reaching below his chin to lift his face so she could study him some more. Before she could even blink however, both wrists were grabbed and she was forcibly lifted and swung around, her back slamming against the trunk. Serenity cried out in shock and fright, her eyes squeezed shut and her legs barely holding her up, even though it wouldn't have mattered because they were barely touching the root to begin with. Her mind seemed to be working a mile a minute, trying to figure out how it was that a dead man, or whatever it was, was suddenly attacking her. This night really was too much.

She could hear his breathing. Could feel the warmth from the tight grip his hands held on her wrists. Minutes ticked slowly away while Serenity cringed inwardly. Why wasn't it doing anything? Slowly, she opened one eye, then the other, and was met with the golden eyes and flashing fangs of her captor. This time she couldn't even blink, or even breathe.

The demon that held her growled and spoke in a low, smokey voice. "How did you take out the arrow?" Serenity shook her head, unable to explain. She didn't understand what he wanted from her. Why was he treating her like an enemy when she had obviously helped him? He shook her violently, yelling out the same question as her head slammed against the trunk. Serenity opened her mouth as if to answer him this time, but her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she was unconscious before anything could come out.

The demon cursed loudly and let go of the girl he'd been holding, letting her slide limply down the base of the tree. Frowning in disgust, he sat down beside her with his chin in his hands. He didn't know who the hell this chick was, but he had to find out how she had freed him. As far as he knew, he'd been bound to that tree for half a century or more, and no regular human could even budge the arrow much less remove it had they even wanted to. Then again, her blood didn't smell like any human.

He studied her moodily, trying to decide if he should just leave her or not. When she had been standing, her golden silver hair had reached all the way to her ankles, done up in two buns at each side of her head with pig tails hanging free. Granted, it was really messy at the moment, with stray curls hanging free in various places. Her skin was oddly pale, almost luminescent, and her eyes had been a dazzling blue with flecks of silver. Right now all he could see was thick black lashes. She had a delicate nose and oddly alluring lips. A slim figure too. Barely covered by a wet, white nightgown. Sighing, the demon looked away. Attractive for a human.

--

AN: Okay, tell me what your thinking people.


	3. Disturbing Visions

Disclaimer: Do not own SM or Inuyasha. I do own my story though.

--

As the real world melted away into blackness, Serenity felt herself falling. A dizzying kind of fall that seemed relatively slow and at the same time unbearably fast. And then she realized she wasn't falling at all. She was lying at the edge of a crystal clear lake, and could feel the constriction and heavy fabric of her normal palace attire draped around her. Could feel the coldness of the silver circlet placed on her forehead, signifying her place in life. Could feel the sense of weightlessness only associated with one place. She was on the moon. Serenity turned to her side and looked out at the still waters before her, eye level with its glassy surface. This lake was man made. Put there by Neptune's leader to show their fealty to the crown. A ceremonial gift unlike any other had been, and bestowed upon the Moon Kingdom as a symbol of the peace and security that would prosper in the silver millennium. There wasn't a day that went by that Serenity didn't visit this lake at least once. Sitting up awkwardly, Serenity smoothed out her skirts, still gazing out over the water. She looked down at her reflection at its edge, studying herself closely. She didn't feel right for some reason. Kind of like she was out of place. Minutes ticked steadily away, her eyes becoming unfocused and distant, and it took her a while to come back to the present when she finally noticed something was in the water. It was a face. The face of a man with short sandy hair and shockingly dark brown eyes. The stiff contortion of his features made him look horribly ill, and the whites of his eyes had turned red. He didn't seem to have a body.

Serenity screamed in shock and scrambled to her feet, turning her back to the lake and facing the palace, moving only a few short feet forward before stopping to lean against a dying tree while she helplessly vomited. How long had he been in there for? Why had no one noticed? There were tears standing in her eyes and her face was flushed in horror, her body trembling as if she were about to have a seizure. She'd never been confronted with death before. She had to get away. Everything felt as though it were somehow surreal. Like a fuzzy unfinished painting that didn't yet exist on canvas. Ahead of Serenity was the Moon Palace, standing in silent vigilance as if it were looking for someone to beckon forward. Wiping the back of her hand over her mouth, she started towards it cautiously.

With a staff that maintained it regularly, the palace was a planetary wonder; made completely of white marble veined with silver, edges all trimmed in gold. The architecture was slightly Roman and Greek in nature, with arched doorways and windows and wide support columns. Every entrance had a double door, and every window was curtained with dark blue velvet. The main entrance consisted of a grand double stairway, the kind that came up from opposite ends of the courtyard and curved until they connected at the top, with an ornate golden banister and dark blue velvet carpet. The paths to the palace were well managed, with trimmed hedges and well tended gardens along its exterior. When it was well maintained, the palace was the most wonderful place you could possibly see. Had Serenity been thinking more clearly, she would have noticed that there was something dark about it. Something shadowed and menacing.

However, as it was, Serenity was trying to figure out what it was that kept her in this haze of clouded memory and jumbled thoughts. She couldn't seem to remember how she had woken up at the edge of the lake, or even going there in the first place. What had happened? The only thing that she could remember clearly was long silver hair and strange honey golden eyes, belonging to a face that wouldn't quite recall itself. And somewhere in the very back of her mind was a deep sadness for something that had buried itself away. Whatever these memories were they seemed unimportant now. Trivial under the recent circumstances. Nothing but a dream. Pushing stray curls back out of her face, Serenity sighed heavily and avoided looking anywhere as she walked except forward. In her peripheral vision she could see odd shapes scattered along the ground, and it made her queasy to even think of what they may be. It was instinct which begged her not to look.

Reaching the main entrance, Serenity placed one foot upon the stairway and one hand upon the banister; gasping in shock as there was a sudden flash of light and the deafening sound of terrified screams. There were people streaming out of the doors, stumbling down the stairs so fast that most of them fell by the time they reached the third step. The looks on their faces were all the same, wide eyed and frightened, twisted in a look of desperate need for survival. A man in a white tuxedo with short sandy hair was leaping down the steps with one hand clasping the railing so that he didn't fall, headed straight for Serenity as she stood frozen at the foot of the stairway. He had the face of the detached head in the lake. Not seeming to see her, he collided with her full force and she was knocked to the side, sprawled on the ground on her stomach. As soon as she was no longer in contact with the banister, the screaming stopped.

Serenity, breathing rapidly, rolled onto her back and propped herself up on her elbows to look in wonder at the stairway. Nobody was there. The fleeing people were gone without a trace. It had only been some kind of hallucination. A little sore, Serenity slowly rose to her feet. It had certainly felt real enough, but there was no other explanation for it. It simply defied reason to think that what had just occurred, had actually indeed taken place. A coldness crept it's way into her body as she stood staring up at her home in a mix of fear and confusion, noticing finally that the beautiful white marble was a dull yellow and that the heavy curtains in the windows and carpet on the stair were splotched with dark stains. There were streaks of red along the banister. Serenity gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head vigorously. The smell of decay seemed to absolutely overwhelm her in that moment, and removing her hands from her face, Serenity burst into fresh tears when she saw that the right- the one she had touched the banister with –was glistening wetly with the red substance. With the blood of those that had tried to escape.

Serenity franticly used the skirt of her dress to wipe off the blood in shockingly vibrant smears along its hem, sobbing openly now because it no longer seemed very important to just put on a brave face for the sake of appearances. Screaming in frustration, she bolted to the stairway, taking them two at a time and avoiding the banister. Whatever had happened here had happened sometime before her arrival, and it seemed unlikely that the attackers would stick around to get caught. She understood now that her contact with certain things was causing her to see the events of the past- one that she had evidently somehow not been around to take part in -, and that if she could manage to avoid any other triggers she wouldn't have to bear witness to the slaughter of her people. Knowing this didn't lessen the shock or revulsion, but her feelings at the moment were unimportant. None of this was real in a physical sense, she was sure of that, but if that was so then it meant she had been brought here by somebody that had been present during all of this. The only person who would do so- who could, even without realizing it -was her mother. Again, that nagging feeling in the back of her mind hinted at a deep sadness, but Serenity needed to focus only on where she was going. Instinctively she headed directly to her private room.

What greeted her when she got there made her sink to her knees in the doorway, face in her hands as she sobbed broken heartedly on the floor. There was blood splattered over everything, and it looked as though a large bomb had gone off in the centre of her room, destroying everything inside and causing whole slabs of marble in the walls to disintegrate under its force. Towards the opening of her balcony was the broken body of Queen Serenity, her staff snapped in half and protruding from her chest. The way it was positioned suggested that she had been killed immediately, but one never really knew when it came to beings that weren't entirely mortal. Rocking on the ground, Princess Serenity cried bitterly and slammed her tiny fists against her legs as if she were punishing them for not being able to let her stand. She clutched the skirts of her dress in hysterics, not noticing when they ripped from the force she was using to pull at them. It felt like hours while she sat in the doorway, her heart torn to pieces. After a while she became too weak to cry and just leaned against the door frame, staring at her mothers' body with half closed eyes while leftover tears spilled out over swollen red cheeks.

She remembered what had happened to her now. Queen Serenity had run into her bedroom frantically and had told her she needed to leave because the palace was under attack. Told her to find Amadais and her guardians. Sent her away and faced the enemy on her own with no protection but herself. Sighing, Serenity closed her eyes and lifted a hand to clasp the Silver Imperium Crystal, only to find it wasn't there. Her hand dropped heavily to her lap. She felt almost numb now. Detached from her emotions in a way that made her feel that she would never experience even one of them again. Her eyes opened and she blinked away the cloudiness of suspended tears. After another few moments, she gathered the will to at least crawl to her mothers' body, settling down behind her head and lifting it so that it rested in her lap.

Queen Serenity's white hair had fallen out of its traditional style and was spread out around and over her body, matted to her in places by her blood. She had a cut over one eye, and her dress was torn to shreds, barely there at all anymore. The protruding half of her staff was surrounded by blood and gore and its other half lay at the queens' side, useless now. Princess Serenity struggled with the thought of letting a vision be triggered to witness how this had happened. Perhaps she could at least see who had murdered her mother, if nothing more. Coming to a decision, she swallowed thickly and touched her forehead to the half moon insignia on her mothers. There was a bright flash of light and Serenity closed her eyes, letting the vision be played out in her mind alone.

(vision)

The guard spell came into place as her pursuer slid into the room, casting a strong purple aura around the queen. The thing in front of her at first seemed to be a man, but the feeling emanating from it was far too evil to be anything even remotely human. It was wiry and thin, looking as though its appendages had kept growing long after the rest of it had stopped. He had the face of someone who would be easily called a thief, and little tufts of hair grew around the bald crown of his head. Its eye's were little red pinpoints in inky blackness, and its skin was slightly greenish, hidden mostly from view by black clothing. It smiled eerily as it looked at her, sizing her up. "What is it you hope to prove by doing this, demon!" She bit out harshly, her stance determined and threatening. The thing before her threw its head back and laughed, a wheezing kind of sound that inadvertently caused her to cringe.

"I come in order to prove nothing at all your majesty." It bowed mockingly, flashing sharp pointed teeth in a large grin. "I am merely a messenger, nothing more."

"Then speak demon, before I rip your tongue from your head." The words were a brave front, and Queen Serenity doubted she could back them up, but appearances were everything in a fight. A lack of confidence exposed weaknesses that were best kept hidden.

The demon gave that same wheezing laugh, and began to circle around her predatorily. "My coming here was part of a well devised plan, your eminence. Threaten you enough so that you would send the thing we most craved right into our hands."

The queen followed the demon with her eyes alone, challenging it to make the first move. "And what would that be."

Stopping in its tracks, the demon's smile grew so wide it seemed as though its face were about to split in half. It clapped its hands in glee, leaning in almost conspiratorially. "Such a clever plan it was!" The demon winked. "Tell me your grace," he drawled teasingly, "what is the difference between time as it passes in your realm, and time as it passes on Earth?"

Queen Serenity's eyes widened in understanding. It passed much slower on Earth. Earth was the only planet left to advance with no interference from the other planets because it was the only one which didn't have a true elemental warrior. A week on the moon could mean the difference of an entire century on Earth, until a warrior was born that could join the planetary alliance. For that reason, travel to Earth for the purpose of contact with the kingdom belonging to king Amadais was always arranged by Sailor Pluto, the time guardian.

The demon jumped up and down in place, laughing. "Oh yes! Very clever! Because this little tidbit seemed to slip your mind, Princess Serenity has been sent to Earth almost a hundred years too early, when demons were still free to rule life there! Her precious guardians no longer exist in the same time frame as her, because Saturn sent them into its future! It's all so very perfect! The Silver Imperium Crystal is of great value to us, because it is much like a jewel we have been after in our era. They are so similar in fact, that they could be twins! The Shikon Jewel and the Imperium Crystal!" It's mirth was evident, and it once again began circling the queen. "They could do wonderful things for a demon!"

Realizing her mistake, Queen Serenity's defenses weakened. "No." Her voice was a soft whisper, filled with horror. "Oh Usa, what have I done?" Seeing the queens' distracted emotional state as an advantage, the demon attacked at a speed so fast it couldn't even be seen clearly. Reaching through the guard spell, it clutched at the staff she held, ripping it from her hands and swinging it at her face.

(end)

Princess Serenity lifted her head and opened her eyes with a scream, stopping the vision from continuing any further. It was impossible for her to cry anymore, but she would have given anything to be able to. She stood weakly, swaying slightly as she started to black out. Too weak to fight it, she fell back to the floor and was unconscious before her head even hit.

(the forest)

Inuyasha glared at the girl in front of him in frustration, wondering when in the hell she was going to wake up. He hadn't made her hit her head that hard. Mildly curious, he moved directly in front of her and lifted her face slightly so he could see her better. A silent moment passed, and the girls' eyebrow twitched slightly. Inuyasha noticed, but didn't remove his hand from under her chin. Slowly, her eyes opened, focusing on his own in confusion. They looked so... heartbroken. Inuyasha's ears twitched. "So you finally decided to wake up." He muttered, stressing the word finally.

Serenity blinked, blushing furiously. Everything was still too fresh for her to fight back however, so she didn't even acknowledge that he had said anything at all. This seemed to be the wrong move, because his eyes seemed to flash in anger. "Who the hell are you? How did you remove that arrow?" Serenity frowned.

"Tell me who you are and how you came to have an arrow in you first!" She replied bitterly. Inuyasha glared at her, releasing her face and jumping to his feet.

"I don't have to tell you a thing, you little wretch!" He yelled, turning his back to her and folding his arms across his chest. "Just be grateful that I'm letting you live in the first place." He growled over his shoulder. Serenity got to her feet as well, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Threaten me all you like," she screamed, "but be ready to back it up!" Her voice cracked and she angrily lashed out at the thing before her, mentally snapping. Inuyasha was forcibly pushed from behind, pitching him over the tree root. Doing a summersault in mid-fall, he managed to land on his feet facing her. He was slightly shocked to see that she was crying, and didn't even seem to realize it. She was purposely trying to get him to attack her.

Inuyasha leapt back onto the tree root and grabbed Serenity's arms, pinning her to the base of the trunk. "Just what the hell is going on?" Serenity winced in pain, but refused to answer him. Her eyes seemed to be begging for him to go ahead and finish it. He knew the look for what it was, and it fuelled his anger even more. "Quit being such a weakling! You wanna die, then you do it yourself." He released her and she sank to her knees weakly. He was right. Her mother would be absolutely ashamed to see her like this.

"I don't know how I removed the arrow, or why your suggesting it should have been so difficult." She murmured. Her eyes rose to meet his, silver specks sparkling wickedly against their blue. "My name is Serenity, but here I suppose I should be known as Usagi." Inuyasha studied her in silence, trying to decide if he should reply in kind, or just leave. Then his eyes caught site of the crystal around her neck. He clearly felt a powerful aura coming from it. It appeared that he had a lot of thinking to do. Slowly, he crouched down in front of her.

"My name is Inuyasha."

--

AN: Please review. It's nice to see if people are interested or not.


	4. The River

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, don't own Sailor Moon... Enjoy. I love writing this story! I hope I'm doing okay... (Inuyasha will call Serenity Usagi, but when he isn't saying or thinking her name she will be called Serenity)

--

Inuyasha dove down into the water, letting himself slowly drift along in the rivers current for a while before resurfacing. He shook out his long silver hair and twitched his ears, gazing over the river bank until he spotted his clothes upstream. Sighing softly he swam to a spot directly in front of them in the middle of the clear water. He felt so dirty. He moved forward slightly so that he could stand with most of his torso out of the water, gazing forlornly into the sky as the current washed around the rest of him. His back was now to the river bank.

He had met Kikyo here once. Had told her that he wanted to use the Shikon jewel to become human and be with her, forever. He had stood merely inches away from her, absolutely overwhelmed by her scent and beauty, and had told her that he was in love with her. Inuyasha smiled bitterly, eyes flashing. A hanyou, in love with a miko. The smile faded quickly and he closed his eyes, remembering that day as if it had just happened moments before. She had taken him in her arms and they had stood holding each other for a long time afterwards. Kikyo had loved Inuyasha just as fiercely as he had loved her. He opened his eyes, frowning in sadness. Loved her still, even.

But she had come to him at the spot where they were to meet later that day, limping and holding a sacred arrow knocked against her bow, blood dripping out of the sleeve and over the hand of one arm. When their eyes had met, he had felt such rage and hatred, all of it directed at him and him alone. It had made him cringe. When he had asked her what had happened, she had merely drawn back her bow and fired her arrow.

"Die Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's ears went back and his hand lifted to touch the fading wound on his chest. He could remember her voice so clearly as she said those words that it seemed as if he could turn around and she would be there behind him, arrow headed true to its mark. His heart. She had shot him with a sacred arrow through his heart, deliberately trying to kill him. His hand clenched into a fist and he winced at the memory. It hadn't killed him of course, but it had bound him for god knows how long to that damn tree. Sapped his strength enough to cause him to fall into a deep slumber, which was supposed to have lasted forever. Before he had been fully bound, Inuyasha had watched Kikyo fall to the ground, bow and arrow dropping from nerveless fingers. She had died in front of him, filled with hatred and consumed with the need for revenge.

A small breeze wound its way along the riverbank, rustling the leaves of the numerous trees nearby. Inuyasha forced his thoughts of Kikyo away, sniffing the air out of habit. He could smell that girl. The one with the gold and silver hair and strange eyes. Turning back to the riverbank, Inuyasha waded out of the waters and began to dress, leaving his chest bare. It was too nice a day to bother dirtying the rest of his clothes when they had no need to be worn. With a determined step, he began to make his way back to where he had left her. What had she said her name was again? The first had been long, but hadn't the second been Usagi? He thought about the name for a while, rolling it around in his mind until he decided he liked Usa better.

She had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, according to her story. Much of what she had told him last night had been fragmented and had not made a lot of sense, and every now and then she would go silent in the middle of speaking. He could smell the tears that kept building, but she never let them fall after that first time when she had attacked him. He hadn't pressed her to continue, sympathizing with her somewhat. It seemed both of them had suffered broken hearts, because her eyes had that same hidden look his did. She hadn't told him everything, had really just barely gotten out what little was said before falling asleep. Inuyasha had watched her for a while, then had leapt onto the limb of a tree a few feet away from the one he had been bound to and stayed there, staring at the sky, until dawn had come.

He had been thinking about Usagi and the way she smelled, as well as the jewel she wore. Her blood wasn't human, he could tell that right away, but it wasn't demon either. It smelled unlike anything he had ever encountered that was living, faintly resembling the Shikon jewels' aura. Pure and powerful, with a potential within that hinted of something unimaginable. As for the crystal she wore...

He didn't quit know what to make of it, but Inuyasha could tell that it had immense power. As far as he had ever known, the Shikon no Tama was the only jewel in existence with that type of power, and had been the only one of its kind. It made Usagi's story about being sent from a different world all the more credible, because there was no other explanation for the crystal's existence. Inuyasha was at a loss as to what to do about her. He could leave her, and was certain she wouldn't live long enough to bother him again, but that would mean leaving the crystal in the hands of a full demon that may know just how to use it. He could take the crystal from her and kill her himself after learning from her what it was that made it work, but when he pictured ripping her heart out it made him feel less then satisfied. Besides, just last night she had wanted to die, and she would probably not indulge that information to him no matter how hard he threatened. Inuyasha sighed heavily, running a hand through his still thoroughly soaked hair. The best option he could see for now was to keep the girl and use her and her powers to his advantage.

She had been able to pull out the sacred arrow, a feat impossible unless you were Kikyo herself, and that made him wonder at what else she could do. If nothing else, she could gather information for him from the villages so that he could find the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha smirked, shaking his head. He would do it himself, but nobody knew that he had been revived, and it would give him much more freedom to move around if no one found out just yet. His pace slowed as he came up to the sleeping figure of Usagi.

Her hair was completely loose now, amazingly longer than her body, and it shone brilliantly in the light that was dappled across her through the leaves of the trees canopy. The rags that used to be her night gown were clinging to her tightly, bunched up and tangled around her thighs and torso, and Inuyasha couldn't help but look away as if he had been doing something inappropriate by staring at her when she looked like that. His ears twitched in annoyance and he turned his back to her and sat down a few feet away.

"Wake up, or I'll drag you to the river and throw you in." Inuyasha growled loudly, picking at the grass at his feet absentmindedly. Serenity's eyes opened slowly, bleary from sleep, and focused on the leaves above her. For a moment she couldn't recall where she was or who was speaking, but it didn't take long for the fog in her mind to clear away. Tired, she sat up and stretched, making a little noise that sounded like a tiny squeak as she did so. Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder briefly, giving her a weird look. When she had finished stretching, Serenity got to her feet and smoothed out her nightgown, making a face as she did so. Looking over at Inuyasha's back, she noticed his wet hair.

"You bathed in the river, didn't you?" She asked softly. Her brows furrowed and she picked nervously at her rags. "I don't suppose that's the only option I have at getting clean, is it?" Inuyasha had confirmed Serenity's vision of the demon's plan last night, telling her she was in the feudal era. A time where only the barest necessities were available. She doubted that a nice hot tub was one of them. Inuyasha stood and turned to her, and Serenity immediately blushed and looked away at the site of his naked torso. At 17, she had never seen a man without his shirt. In fact, the only men she ever did see at the palace were way overdressed or wearing armor. Her stomach seemed to tie in knots, and she felt a strange kind of ach that she couldn't describe.

Inuyasha was completely oblivious to her reaction. "Where the hell else would you go?" He was feeling a bit short tempered, anxious to be away from this end of the forest. "Grab your stuff and I'll take you." Serenity obediently gathered up her bundled cloak, intimidated by Inuyasha's attitude slightly. However, she was well aware that her being a princess and being used to certain things was going to cause an argument between them if he kept it up.

On their way to the lake, Serenity let her mind wander to thoughts of Inuyasha. He puzzled her to no end. Last night he had told her he had been bound to the tree by the sacred arrow she had pulled from his chest, in an attempt to kill him. It hadn't worked because he was a hanyou, and even being only a hanyou, he was still stronger than any other full demon. Instead he was trapped in slumber forever. Until she came along. Serenity was conflicted about Inuyasha emotionally, disturbed by something that she couldn't quit figure out. He seemed just as conflicted about her. She glanced over to him, watching his now damp hair swing as he walked. She remembered what it had felt like when she had touched it, and how soft and warm his ears were. She also remembered his sharp fangs, flashing at her when he had slammed her against the tree. "It's just straight ahead, right?" She murmured, referring to the river. Inuyasha nodded. Without explanation, Serenity took off at a dead run into the trees, attempting to put as much space between them as possible. Inuyasha chose to continue at a walk. After all, she would never be able to lose him because he would always be able to track her smell.

Serenity stripped off her nightgown slowly, glancing behind her to make sure Inuyasha hadn't reached the river yet. She was hoping that he would get the hint and stay in the forest, nervous about being nude right out in the open. Anybody could come along at any given moment and see her, standing there with nothing on. Blushing, she quickly went into the river to its centre, deep enough in to have to swim. Inuyasha still didn't emerge from the forest. Serenity relaxed and sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she waited for her body to adjust to the cold waters. He apparently wasn't going to follow her here.

Once Serenity was accustomed to the waters, she took a deep breath and submerged herself fully, eyes wide as she looked around the bottom of the river in wonder. There were brightly coloured fishes and tiny water flowers and vegetation along its bottom, probably about 6m down from where was, and she excitedly began to swim down towards them. She had never seen anything like this before on the moon, and she found it absolutely amazing that there was such a tiny peaceful little world living apart from the rest. It was beautiful down here. Attracted to her shining hair floating around her, the fish came right to her and swam with her, studying this creature that had descended from land as much as she studied them. Serenity smiled and reached out to touch one, surprised when it actually let her do so. It felt soft and smooth under the water. She had reached the bottom of the river now, and was gazing at the vegetation thoughtfully, wondering if she should pick a water flower or not. Unable to resist, she delicately plucked one that had a golden-honey hue, the colour reminding her of Inuyasha's eyes.

In the meantime, Inuyasha had reached the river bank and was impatiently searching around for her. At his feet was her nightgown, and the bundled up cloak that she had been carrying. Intensely, Inuyasha stared at the river's fairly still waters until he saw two tiny air bubbles pop on its surface. So she was under water. He threw down his shirts beside her nightgown and paced the waters edge, following the tiny air bubbles. Minutes were steadily ticking away and Inuyasha began to wonder why she hadn't surfaced yet. Any normal mortal would have done so long ago. Suddenly, his body went rigid and he narrowed his eyes, teeth bared as he stared up river. There was a demon coming. It smelled like a water dragon.

Snarling, Inuyasha dove into the waters without a second thought, locating Serenity and swimming towards her as fast as he could. She hadn't noticed him coming, and so when his arms wrapped around her waist and started pulling her back to the surface, she blindly began to struggle. Inuyasha ignored her pathetic attempts to get away, and when he managed to get out of the water with her in tow, he immediately began cursing at her to stop fighting him and to get back into the trees. Unceremoniously, he released her so suddenly that she fell to the ground, and without even turning to see if she was alright he re-entered the river and dove under, headed upstream.

Serenity was in shock, trying to get the hair plastered wetly to her face away from her eyes and spitting out mouthfuls of water. Shivering, she wrapped her arms about herself indignantly and sat hunched over, glaring at the river. Just what the hell had he been... Her thoughts broke off as a giant snakelike body rose out of the water, the mouth of its large head gaping open as a roar so loud that it hurt her ears escaped. It was writhing around frantically in a rage, and atop it was Inuyasha, slashing at it with alarming ferocity. With a huge growl, the thing Inuyasha rode flung its head to the side, throwing Inuyasha to the riverbank. Serenity screamed and covered her mouth with her hands, not knowing what else to do. Inuyasha, seemingly unphased, rose to his feet and leapt at the thing, bringing his clawed hand back and yelling out an attack while swiping at the creature. Red blades of energy were released and the thing from the river was torn to shreds in a blinding flash of light, causing Serenity to bury her face in her hands.

Water splashed everywhere as the writhing body and its numerous parts fell back into the river, sending up a fountain of spray that reached Serenity where she crouched. And then everything was silent. Serenity felt something heavy drape over her body and she jumped to her feet in surprise, whatever it had been slipping off of her. In front of her stood Inuyasha, dripping wet and glaring at her angrily. "I was putting my coat over you, you idiot. Or do you want to stand in front of me naked all day?" He bit out harshly, sounding meaner than he had intended. Serenity turned red, glancing down at her body briefly before turning her back to Inuyasha. She was absolutely mortified. She could feel Inuyasha moving close behind her and heard the rustling of cloth, and again something heavy was draped over her shoulders. Serenity grabbed the edges of the deep red coat and drew it tightly around herself, her face almost matching its colour. "Get dressed. I'll go get wood and start a fire." Inuyasha's voice was soft and smokey again, and she felt his presence fade away as he left. Trembling, Serenity looked over her shoulder and watched him disappear into the trees.

--

AN: Please review! I would appreciate it greatly.


	5. Goodbye Serenity

AN: Okay, I think it's time I put one of these up to give people the heads-up. Alrighty, Kagome isn't going to be in this story, so neither will the Shikon jewel. That means there is no hunt for jewel shards, and Naraku (should I decide to put him in this story) is only as powerful as the demons inside him (he won't be able to make other demons that are a part of himself). Kikyo isn't going to be raised from the dead. I will however, work Miroku, Sango and Kaede into the story, among a few others. Sesshomaru is still going to be in the story as well.

I want to say a big thanks to angel, nav, depth-orca, and Angel-Godess for reviewing my story. It's been a little depressing that I've only gotten 4 reviews, but I'm grateful for them because it shows at least someone has an interest in this fic. Reviews are my inspiration to write, and I guess that's why it's taken so long to get this chapter out. And yes, I realize I have problems with huge paragraphs. There will be no rushed romances, but Inuyasha is going to be portrayed as a bit manipulative. Kind of a womanizer. As for his seeming a little nicer than usual, it's because there is no Kagome. What made him so mad when he first woke up was the fact that he smelled Kikyo's blood and Kikyo was his attempted killer, but since there's no physical reminder of Kikyo, he's confused more then angry I guess. I don't know how to word what I mean, but if you get me, you get me, and if you don't, you don't. Serenity's crescent moon on her forehead only appears during a new moon when she isn't on the moon.

Alrighty then, I suppose that's enough for the author notes. Please read and review.

--

Serenity stood for a long time, silently staring off into space with Inuyasha's coat around her, clutching it tightly to ward off the slight chill of the afternoon breeze. The realization had finally dawned on her that she was very much in danger on this planet -whether she wasn't really mortal or not-, without the necessary training to use either her innate powers or those of the Silver Crystal. The only thing she had learned was a simple guard spell, one she still needed a focus point for, and she doubted it was very powerful. She could feel the wristband she wore clinging to her skin. What good was a guard spell anyway, when she wasn't even fast enough to use it? That thing in the water would have killed her if it hadn't been for...

If it hadn't been for the demon, Inuyasha.

She owed him her life. Serenity sighed and turned to find her cloak, stepping over to it and undoing the cord so she could put on the miko style clothes. Wearily, she looked around to make sure nobody was watching, letting Inuyasha's coat fall to the ground as she put on the baggy white shirt and pants quickly. She no longer had anything to protect her feet, but being barefoot didn't really bother her too much. As an afterthought, Serenity put on her cloak, putting her hair in the hood so that it didn't drag on the ground. When she finished, she picked up her and Inuyasha's things and set out to find him.

Heading in the direction she had seen him go, Serenity soon picked up the sound of wood burning and smelled something cooking. Following her senses, she found herself standing a few feet behind Inuyasha, frozen where she was as if she were about to intrude where she didn't belong. Inuyasha's ears pointed forward, and he spoke softly without turning. "Sit down and warm up." Serenity walked over to his side and placed his things at his feet before circling the fire so it was between them. Silently, she placed her brush handle between her teeth, threw her nightgown off to the side and took off her cloak to spread it on the ground. When she had made a nice comfy little spot for herself, Serenity took her brush out of her mouth and pushed her hair over one shoulder so she could start getting out all the tangles.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she murmured absently as she worked on her hair, "for saving my life." Inuyasha was watching her silently, his expression slightly angered. The last thing he needed was for this human – and he did consider her human – to start thinking he was some kind of noble protector. He was part demon, and if he had it his way would be a full demon. All he needed was the shikon-no-tama. He pulled on the rest of his clothes and glared at her in indignation.

"I didn't do it for you." Serenity stopped what she was doing, her eyes meeting Inuyasha's in puzzlement. She wasn't pleased by what she saw.

"Then why did you do it?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to stare Serenity down. It didn't work. He shrugged and poked at the fire, turning something that was on a stick in its centre over without looking away from her once. Minutes ticked slowly away before he finally answered.

"I've decided I can use you." Serenity's heartbeat quickened in her chest as she stared at Inuyasha, trying not to convey any emotions on her face. Inuyasha was a demon above anything else, and she knew that in most demon's minds nothing was more important than power. The kind used to hurt and control. She had tucked the crystal under her shirt, but she knew he had already seen it by now. Could probably even tell what it was. Outwardly calm, she resumed brushing her hair, lowering her eyes.

"So what, I'm your prisoner then?" Her voice came out completely steady, but Inuyasha didn't need to hear her to know how she was feeling. She was afraid of him now.

Serenity seemed easy enough to manipulate, and he was going to make sure it was to his advantage. "You don't need to be." Serenity's eyes rose to his once more. "You won't leave me Usa," her brush fell from her fingers in surprise at the fact he had called her the short version of Usagi, and inwardly she wondered if he knew that it was an endearment, "because I'm your only protection here." Inuyasha stood and walked around the fire, picking the brush up and moving behind her. He would make her putty in his hands. Get to her through her feelings and emotions. Brushing her hair back, he began to pull it through carefully. Serenity was frozen in shock, her cheeks turning a deep crimson. "What I need from you isn't that big of a deal. In return for doing what I want you to, you'll have my word that nothing here will kill you." Serenity was slowly relaxing as he brushed out her hair, her eyes half closed. Her mother used to do this for her, right before she went to sleep.

"And when you no longer need me?" She asked softly, turning her head to the side slightly.

Inuyasha tossed the brush down onto Serenity's cloak, his claws slightly extracting. "Does it matter?" Serenity turned to face him, so close she could feel his body heat.

"Of course it does. You're asking me to trust you based on blind faith. You're a demon Inuyasha." She reached up and touched one of his ears softly for emphasis. "Once demons are done using someone -or something- they get rid of them. Permanently. It's in their nature." She removed her hand slowly, subconsciously trailing her fingers through his hair. "I can be killed." The statement was made as if she figured he would have thought otherwise.

"I won't kill you." Inuyasha flashed his fangs purposefully and stepped around Serenity, drawing his hand down her slightly wavy hair until it was parallel to her hips. He paused there for a moment, making sure he held it all. "Your hair is too long. If you needed to run, it would only get in your way." Serenity frowned and went to turn, but before she could she felt a weight fall from her and Inuyasha began to laugh. Her eyes widened and she froze, slowly drawing her hair over her shoulder and staring in horror at the ends that barely reached her lap.

Just as slowly, she turned to look at Inuyasha. In his clawed hands, he clutched her symbol of royalty. The thing that most defined her as a true heir to the throne; that had been a trademark of her family line. Tears came to Serenity's eyes unbidden, and it was all she could do not to strangle Inuyasha right then and there until he was good and dead. Instead, she leapt to her feet and slapped him across the face as hard as she could manage, fleeing back towards the river as golden-silver silk fluttered behind her in uneven tatters.

Inuyasha shook his head, a faint smile still on his face. He had seen the slap coming, but he had let her do it anyway. He took the food from the fire and threw her hair in its place, ignoring the horrible smell it made as it quickly burned. It had really been quit beautiful, but what he had said was true. It was too long, and would probably have drawn a lot of unwanted attention. What he needed now was to head towards the nearest village and see if he could find out where the Shikon jewel went after Kikyo died. That information would probably only be known by a few people. Maybe even only one person. Inuyasha sighed heavily and popped a chunk of meat into his mouth. He needed to find Kikyo's sister, Kaede.

(the river)

She couldn't believe that he had used those stupid claws of his to cut off her beautiful hair. Her fingers were deftly brushing through it over and over, and every time they ended up in nothing but air Serenity would freeze momentarily. It felt so wrong for it to be this short. Never in her life had she gone near scissors with the intent of even a trim, and certainly no one would have approached her for such a thing. It just wasn't done to the Serenity's. She shook her head softly and sighed. She didn't even feel like herself anymore.

Silently, she let her hands fall into her lap as she looked out over the river. She didn't feel like a princess anymore. There were no beautiful gowns, no servants, no wonderful gardens or suitors here. This place was barbaric and crude. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Just like Inuyasha. Lying down on her back, Serenity searched the sky as if it held all the answers.

Her life had done a complete 180, and it took everything she had not to let herself be overcome by all of the emotion and stress which accompanied it. Not once in the Moon Kingdom had any of her tutors sat her down and said what to do if one day she was mistakenly sent to a feudal era on a planet centuries behind home, with no protection and no way to get back. Her brows furrowed and her hands balled into fists. Even if they had it would have been useless. There wasn't anything to go back to. Serenity sighed in disgust, relaxing her hands and turning her face to look out over the grass. A few yards away from her lay the flower she had picked.

She lay there silently, thinking about how similar she was to that flower. They had no future before them. Removed from their own environments, they were doomed to wither and die. Neither belonged on this riverbank. They didn't have what it took to live away from their worlds. Just for a moment, Serenity felt as though she could cry for that flower, overwhelmed with regret that she had ever taken it. Once again, she turned her face to the sky.

The more she thought about it, the more she knew that this place was going to change her forever. Had already begun to change her. She would never be Princess Serenity again. With every trace of emotion buried away deep inside, she got to her feet and pushed back the stray strands of hair that fell over her face, walking to the edge of the river so she could see her reflection. Inuyasha had actually managed to make her hair relatively even. No one would notice it wasn't if she could find something to put it back with. She looked down at herself, focusing on her wrist band. It was the only thing she had that would work.

When she was done, everything from her ears back was in a high ponytail while the front sides were left loose to frame her face. The reflection in the river no longer seemed so much like that of the young princess. She sighed heavily, speaking in little more then a whisper. "Goodbye Serenity, hello Usagi."

In the river, her reflection frowned in response.

--

AN: If I get more reviews, I'll write a lot faster. If people aren't showing interest in this, is hard for me to be interested in writing.


	6. To Kaede

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews guys! Keep it up! Serenity's going to be called Usagi from now on, cause that's how she sees herself now. Sorry for the lateness, but my sister was visiting so I didn't have much time between her and school. Hope you like!

--

Inuyasha lay on his side with his back to the dying fire, propped up on one elbow. He was glaring moodily off into the trees, watching the shadows flicker as clouds rolled lazily past the dying afternoon sun. Usagi had been gone for hours now, and although he could have followed her scent to find her, he refused to seem as though he cared. He needed her to come to him.

He had considered the possibility that perhaps he had gone too far by cutting off her hair, and the result would be that she would never come back willingly, but he had dismissed it soon after the thought occurred. Where else could she go? Besides, its not like he had really made it all that short, considering it was the same length as his own. She could get it evened out in Kaede's village.

The fire finally died out, bringing with it the lingering smell of smoky ashes tinged with the scent of burned hair. A small breeze started up, causing the leaves of the trees to whisper against each other and carrying with it the smell of Usagi. She was coming back. Inuyasha closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling her strange and utterly unique smell. She wasn't more than a few hundred feet away, coming up behind him. His eyes opened halfway and his ears twitched expectantly. There seemed to be a change within her, but he wasn't going to worry about it now. The sooner she got back, the sooner they could leave to find out what had happened to the Shikon-no-tama.

When Inuyasha heard the sound of twigs breaking under Usagi's feet, he casually stood and brushed himself off, turning to face her as she walked into sight. His eyes lingered on her new hairstyle for only a moment before he put a frown on his face and bit out an acid remark meant to piss her off. "Are you finished pouting?" Usagi didn't even flinch. She wasn't about to dignify him with any sort of response he was looking for.

"What now?" She stopped a few feet away from him, one delicate brow raised in question. She knew he was looking for a fight, but she wasn't going to be the first to cave and start it. Her seeming ignorance of his infuriating barbs would get to him first.

Inuyasha stood silent for a moment before turning around and beginning to walk. Usagi followed. "We go to Kaede's village."

"How far away is it?"

"Walking? Maybe a few hours." Usagi frowned and looked up at the sky.

"Won't it be night by the time we get there? If this is a feudal era like you said, are they just going to let a couple of strangers walk into their village?" A bird cried out somewhere, drawing Usagi's attention to the canopy of the forest. As a result, she walked right into Inuyasha, who had stopped and turned to face her.

Inuyasha grabbed her arms and pushed her back a ways, ignoring her murmured apology. "Watch where you're going." His voice had turned that peculiar low smooth pitch again. She looked down at his hands, watching as he removed them and folded his arms across his chest. "I suppose it would be less suspicious if you got there during daylight. No human travels alone at night." He looked off into the trees at the side of the path they had been following, thinking. Usagi shifted her weight from one foot to the other impatiently, not realizing he had just said she would be alone. The disturbing silence of the forest was getting to her. That bird had been the first and only animal she had heard for the entire time being here, and it was unnerving. Inuyasha turned around, crouching down on the path. "Get on my back."

The command had left Usagi stunned and speechless. Of all the things that she may have guessed he would come up with, this was one she definitely would never have guessed. What was he going to do, give her a piggyback ride all the way there? How did that solve anything? He still had to walk, didn't he? Inuyasha glared at her over his shoulder, becoming impatient himself.

"Just do it, now." Usagi nodded and shyly placed her hands on his shoulders and clasped her legs around his hips. She felt really stupid at the moment, and knew that her face must be matching Inuyasha's coat right about now. Inuyasha placed his hands under her knees and shifted her slightly before letting go and standing up. "Make sure you're holding on tight." He warned, starting to run and then leaping into the air.

Usagi cried out in surprise and wrapped her arms tightly around Inuyasha's neck, burying her face into his hair. They were sailing over the tops of the trees and the ground was a very long distance off. If Inuyasha dropped her, she would probably be dead as soon as she hit, Lunarian or not. She could feel her hair whipping around behind her and hear their clothes rustling, and the coldness of the wind made her glad she wore what she did. Her eye's opened wide just as they were coming back down towards the ground. She had forgotten her cloak and her brush back at that clearing, with no possibility of ever getting them back. Inuyasha wouldn't turn around for just for that. Shaking her head, Usagi closed her eyes and rested it back on the curve of his neck.

She felt him land, only to leap up again, and she had to admit, this was a very effective mode of transportation. But how long could he keep this up with her weight to carry? Did she even feel heavy to him? When Usagi had watched Inuyasha fighting that water demon, he seemed to be doing it effortlessly, with little regard for any type of physical limit that even the best Lunarian warrior had. Did he get tired? Did he feel pain? Which side influenced his personality the most, the human or the demon?

After a while, the smoothness of Inuyasha's movements made it impossible for her to tell whether they were airborne or not without looking, and Usagi's mind turned to other things. How good Inuyasha's hair smelled for example, and how the feeling of his muscles shifting under her was strangely enticing. He was unknowingly making her feel like she was doing something wrong, and she didn't understand why. Uncomfortably, Usagi shifted so that she had as little contact with his body as possible.

Inuyasha turned his head to the side slightly, speaking over the wind that rushed past there ears just enough to be heard. "Stop moving and go back to the way you were." Usagi blushed and relaxed her legs again, once more in full contact with him. Hopefully they were going to reach the village soon, because she didn't know how much more of this she could stand.

Below her, Inuyasha smirked in amusement. He could smell her nervousness. Ahead of him Kaede's village came into view, its people busily scurrying about doing various tasks. He landed softly a mile or so away and let Usagi slide off of his back. She sighed in relief, straightening her hair and clothing, then patiently waited for him to tell her what was going to happen now. Inuyasha studied her absently and made a slight face.

"You look strange." Usagi's eyes opened wide in indignation, and before she could stop herself, her hand was flying towards Inuyasha's face. He caught her wrist and glared at her in reprimanding. "I meant you're going to definitely stand out against the other humans you stupid girl." He growled harshly, releasing her. "Nobody here is that pale with that colour hair, not to mention those strange eyes of yours. You're going to seem strange to them, and they may even think that you're a demon."

Usagi looked down at herself with a frown. "Then what are we going to do?" She asked softly, picking at the sleeves of her shirt.

"There isn't really anything we can do about it." His eyes turned thoughtful and he began to walk around her, studying her figure. "Or maybe, we can distract them enough so that they don't notice until you're already in the village." Her eyes were following him wearily.

"What are you thinking Inuyasha?" He stopped and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Do you heal fast?"

Usagi's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

He looked at her evenly. "Just answer the question."

"I guess so. I mean, I'm not fully mortal so I would think I should. I've never been hurt before…" Inuyasha nodded, seemingly pleased.

"Then here's what's going to happen. I'm going to attack you and you're going to make your way to the village, calling for help. They'll see you and take you to Kaede, their healer. When you get to her, and she helps you, tell her that she must come with you to help a friend of yours." He paused, staring at Usagi intensely. "Her and only her, do you understand?" Usagi nodded. "Come back to this spot and I'll take care of the rest."

Inuyasha stepped forward, so close that Usagi had to lift her head to look up at him and could feel him breathing. His eyes were half closed and his ears were back in a manner that suggested he was bracing himself. "This is going to hurt." He murmured quietly, extending his claws. Before Usagi could act, she felt them rip through her skin and into her abdomen. The pain was so unbearable, the only thing that came out was a strangled gurgle, and blood began to drip down her chin. Her eyes were wide with shock, and in an effort to hold herself up, she clutched at Inuyasha's coat and leaned heavily against him. Excruciatingly slow, he removed his claws from her body, trying not to damage anything more and frowning slightly when Usagi once again made that horrible gurgling noise.

He removed her hands from his kimono and pushed her back a ways, looking down at her face. She was even paler then before, except for the blood dripping from her chin, and her cheeks were streaked with tears of pain. Her shirt was soaked through and gleaming red, and he could see the torn flesh clearly. For some reason, it made Inuyasha uncomfortable to see her like this, and he actually wondered if maybe he had just committed her to a slow and painful death. He spoke her name softly, but her eyes wouldn't focus on him. She needed to get to Kaede now. "Get to the village, Usa."

When he released her completely, Usagi fell to her hands and knees, managing to cry out this time. The searing pain prevented any thought but one. She needed help. Clutching her stomach with one hand, she forced herself to stand again and stumbled forward, trying to make herself move faster. To her, it felt as though she were barely moving. Her breathing became ragged and she looked up, still moving forward. She had come out of the trees without realizing it, and within calling distance was a man working steadily with his rice crop. With the last surge of energy she had left, Usagi yelled out to him and then collapsed. Before she blacked out, she heard him call into the village and run towards her, water splashing up as he went.

Inuyasha watched from a tree at the end of the forest, his ears flat and his eyes haunted. He had to admit, he didn't want Usagi to die. Maybe she was wrong about not being mortal after all. He looked down at his bloody hand and shook his head. No, she couldn't be mortal. Her blood was too different. His hand clenched into a fist and he made a disgusted face. All these sudden feelings were distracting. He had to remember that he was only using her for his own personal gain. His eyes lifted and he watched as the men from the village lifted her limp body and began carrying her back to their healer.

--

AN: I'll appreciate it greatly if you review!


	7. Strange Girl

AN: Okay, I had this chapter written and then it didn't save to the computer! So I had to write it again! Man was I mad! Thank you so much to all the people who reviewed, you're all very nice and I'm glad you like this story.

--

Kaede frowned and lifted the matt-like door to her hut, peering out into the village. Not far off, she could hear the shouts of men, calling to her. Someone had apparently been injured. Quickly, she put a pot of water over the fire and brought some clay bottles and bandages down from various shelves, setting them neatly alongside a large matt on the floor. The shouts came closer and she moved to the doorway, opening it silently while four men rushed in with a young woman-child between them.

Carefully, they lay the prone body on the matt, hesitating for only a moment before moving to leave. Kaede placed her hand on the arm of the last man to walk by, stopping him in his tracks. Coincidentally, it was the man that had first found her. "Do ye know how this came to be, Yukieri?"

The farmer shook his head and glanced at the body of the girl, shaking slightly. He had never seen a woman injured before, even in these feudal times, and it did not sit well with him. "I'm sorry Lady Kaede, but I have no idea how she got hurt. It looks like..." His voice wavered off and he shuddered, wiping the back of his hand across his brow. Kaede started at the streak of bright blood it left behind, but said nothing. "It looks..." His eyes focused back on the healer, wide and staring. "There's a hole right through her stomach, and yet she still breathes!" Yukieri's hands began to fist in his tunic. He was genuinely worried for the girl, most likely because he had a daughter her age. "I heard the most pained cry I've... I was working in my fields and... She dropped like a stone, Lady Kaede!" Kaede nodded, drawing Yukieri away from the doorway and out into the village streets.

"I will do what I can Yukieri. In the meantime, ye should get back to work and forget this strange business until it be known there be need for worry." He nodded gratefully, distractedly moving off towards his fields. Kaede watched him for a moment before stepping back inside.

She shook her head in wonder at the site of the wounded girl, doubting she could do very much to help. Swiftly, she moved to her side and knelt before her, leaning her head down to rest on her chest. Her heartbeat was strong. Kaede's eyes narrowed, as she lifted her head and studied what she could see of the wound. This was no ordinary girl. She grabbed a knife from behind her and cut the girls shirt away, pushing it to the side.

It was definitely an ugly injury. The wound was the size of a mans' fist, exposing organs and torn muscles that gleamed wetly in the firelight. Blood was everywhere. She dipped a small cloth from the pile of bandages in the boiling water and carefully began to clean it. When she finished, she sorted through the clay bottles and added the contents of certain ones into the pot, stirring it with the knife handle. She took it from the fire to cool, grabbing another small bandage and creating a potent poultice from the items left. She placed it over the wound and wrapped the rest of the bandages around the girls' stomach and chest, fastening it tight enough so it had no chance of undoing on its own.

She lifted the strange girls head and placed it on her lap, bringing the warm pot to her lips and pouring its contents slowly into her throat. The girl swallowed by reflex. Kaede nodded in satisfaction and placed her head carefully back onto the matt, standing wearily and scrutinizing her strange patient.

Her skin was unearthly pale, and Kaede believed that it wasn't only due to the injury. The long golden-silver hair was probably the oddest site, but it was the glowing crystal around the girls' neck that held Kaede's interest. "And what be this?" She murmured, leaning down to look at it more closely. She could feel a strange power emanating from it, but couldn't discern its source. Sighing, she moved away and began to put the items she had been using back into their proper places. This women-child, whoever she was, would be asleep for hours yet, and would probably be hungry when she awoke. Kaede doubted she would be able to answer any questions with an empty stomach.

Humming an old tune her sister had sung for her, Kaede began to prepare a stew for her guest.

(the forest)

Inuyasha stared at his reflection in the riverbank, a frown on his face. Water dripped from his hands and splashed silently, causing his image to ripple and waver, becoming so distorted it looked like he was nothing but a red and silver blob. Frustrated, he slammed a fist through its centre and turned away, getting to his feet silently and heading back to where he had told Usagi to meet him.

The way her face had looked... So much pain that he could almost feel it himself. If she wasn't a human, then why did it hurt her so badly? He got serious injuries all the time and rarely felt a thing, so what was different? The sun was starting to set, painting the sky an ominous orange. Inuyasha lifted his gaze towards it and caught site of the moon, already brilliantly shining. He sighed heavily, shifting his eyes to the trees until he found one that looked comfortable enough. In a few days, it would be a new moon. Bracing himself, he gathered his energy and leapt up into the canopy, settling down on a sturdy branch. He hoped that the Shikon-no- tama would be his before that time came.

Turning towards the village, Inuyasha watched the farmers head in from the fields, probably going home for dinner. "Stupid humans." He muttered bitterly, leaning back against the tree's trunk and closing his eyes. He hated them all. The only good human was a dead human. His eyes opened slightly, infinitely sad. Perhaps that wasn't exactly true. After all, before she had killed him and died herself he had been ready for a life with Kikyo. And there was also his...

"Mother."

(Kaede's hut)

Kaede glanced over at the girl in her care as she began to stir on the matt, ladling stew into two thick bowls. "Be you all right, girl?" She questioned softly, watching as her eyes opened to reveal the most curious colour she had ever seen. Usagi blinked rapidly, trying to clear the thickness from her head and willing the heaviness of her limbs to go away. Where was she? She tried to prop herself up, but her arms were just too weak. Kaede stood and moved to her side, kneeling before her and placing her hands on Usagi's shoulders, pulling her carefully into a sitting position. Expecting there to be immense pain, Usagi cringed by reflex, ready to hold back from crying out. Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt nothing at all. Her gaze sought Kaede's for an explanation.

Kaede smiled gently, releasing her and moving back to her previous spot, placing a bowl and chopsticks in front of Usagi before settling down herself. "There be no feeling?" Usagi nodded, her tongue feeling thick and numb and preventing her from trying to speak. Kaede nodded as well, in seeming satisfaction. "There be two reasons for that child. First, I gave ye a medicine to help ye heal faster." She paused and made a point of locking onto Usagi's eyes, raising a brow slightly. "As for what the second reason be, I think ye would know that better then I. At first I thought ye for a demon, but there be an innocence so profound about the aura around ye, it cannot possibly be so."

Ignoring the awkward seeming swollenness of her tongue, Usagi attempted to speak, her voice coming out more steady then she would have thought. "No, I'm not a demon. My name is Usagi. Thank you for your help..."

"Kaede."

Usagi nodded in silent thanks for the introduction, feeling her strength returning as she reached down for the bowl of stew. She was very hungry. "You're right though, I'm not from this place." A moment of silence passed between the two women as Usagi debated on how much she should say. How was she going to get Kaede to leave with her? Inuyasha was waiting, and she doubted he was being patient.

Surreptitiously, she used the silent moment while they ate to her advantage, studying Kaede. The women was old, no one could mistake that fact. Her hair was a pristine white, and her skin was pale and wrinkled. There was a heaviness to her that seemed more like muscle then anything, and a black eye patch covered one eye. Her voice was hoarse, but wise, and that same wisdom reflected in the stern set of her face. Kaede had a bearing that demanded respect, yet radiated kindness, and it made Usagi ache inside with missed feelings of home.

She finished eating and had placed her bowl to the side, looking down at the bandages wrapped around her for the first time. Her absence of a shirt had gone unnoticed until now, so she was relieved to see that Kaede had not only bandaged her wound, but her chest as well. She placed her right hand flat across her stomach right where Inuyasha had injured her, wondering what he had been thinking well doing it.

Kaede had also finished eating, and was watching Usagi. Her eyes once again trailed down to the crystal around the girls' neck. It was glowing more intensely. "If ye don't mind my asking, what be the cause of that unearthly glow." Usagi looked up in confusion for a moment before she realized what Kaede was talking about and her left hand came up to clasp around the jewel.

"This?" She hesitated for a moment before deciding that there was no point in doing so. People were going to learn about the crystal, whether it came from her or not. In fact, the entire reason that she ended up here in the first place was because some demon had wanted it. Had attacked her home for it, and killed everyone that may have gotten in their way. "The Silver Imperium Crystal." Thoughtfully, Usagi rolled it between her fingers, gazing into it. "I don't really know why it would be glowing." Her voice had turned soft, almost like she was talking to herself. "This small crystal is what protected the universe."

Kaede looked at Usagi sharply, shock written all over her face. "Surely you jest girl? The universe? It cannot be!" Usagi smiled gently, knowing that on this primal earth, nothing so vast could ever be imagined beyond earth itself. It would be difficult to believe that there were people living on distant planets.

"I know how this sounds." She caught Kaede's gaze, a seriousness in her eye's that implored her to believe in what she was saying. "I wasn't trained in how to use this yet; I was supposed to wait until I was eighteen, so I couldn't show you how it works. All I know is that it holds a power greater than anything, and it's eliminated entire cities when it was needed. It's saved millions of lives since its creation. It has the power to destroy and the power to heal, and it's belonged to my family for centuries."

Kaede stared into Usagi's eyes, trying to find any hint at all of the tiniest lie. She could see nothing but honesty. It baffled her to think that such a thing could be so powerful, but then again why not? The Shikon- no-tama had been something that could increase power for good and evil. It had been the cause of destroyed villages and had saved lives. Why couldn't there be a crystal infinitely more powerful? Infinitely more dangerous. "Your Silver Imperium Crystal... can it be used by anybody?" Usagi smiled and shook her head, bringing a relief to Kaede she had been in desperate need of. "Good. That be all we need, if a demon were to get their hands on such a thing. Things be bad enough as they are."

Now was the time. Usagi jumped to her feet with a feigned look of worry on her face. "Oh no! I had forgotten about..." Should she try to make up a name or something? No, it took too long to think of one out of the blue, and Kaede was staring at her. Better finish this up fast, or she was going to get suspicious. "My friend is still out there! Kaede you must help him." Her hands clasped in front of her in a begging motion. "Please, I have to bring you to him!"

Kaede slowly got to her feet, nodding her head. "All right child, calm ye down before the injury ye have gets worse." She moved over to a small cupboard and brought out a white miko shirt. Usagi couldn't walk around half naked, and she was the roughly the same size as Kikyo if not a little more delicate. She gave the shirt to Usagi and grabbed a few things while she put it on.

Soon, they would be in the forest.

--

AN: I got a lot of reviews for the second last chapter, but the new one I put up barely got any! What did I do wrong? Are you guys getting bored of my work already? Please review!


	8. Closing In

AN: A reviewer (Yujin-chan) asked me if I could make the pairing between Sesshomaru and Usagi instead of Inuyasha and Usagi. I hadn't thought of it before, but now I don't know which I would prefer. So, when and if you review (which I hope you do), if you want you can put down which pairing you would like. I'll take it into consideration while writing. And yes Lestat's Child, I have decided to put Shippo in this fic. I also watched the end credits to Inuyasha and thank's Angel-Goddess and Concrete Tenshi, I was spelling names wrong. Oops my bad. To the rest of you who reviewed, thank you so much! I was so happy when I opened my e-mail and found a bunch!

--

Miroku smiled as Shippo yet again ran ahead, soon lost from site. The creature was quite excitable, obsessed with knowing about every little thing going on around him. It was adorable, in a naïve sort of way, and Miroku was glad for the distraction.

Things had not been going well lately. Many of the villages they had passed through had been having increased demon attacks, and casualties were building at an alarming rate. Something had stirred those bound to evil up into a frenzy. It had been years since things were this bad, back when the Shikon-no-tama still existed, and it worried Miroku to no end that perhaps it had resurfaced.

He had decided to find out for himself if that was even a possibility, and so he had left his home and had been travelling for a little over a week now to the village where the sister of the previous owner could be found. Shippo had come with him, not wanting to be left behind when he had a chance to meet the famous healer they sought. He nodded to himself, absently beginning to twirl his staff. If there was anybody who knew what was happening, then it would be the legendary Lady Kaede. Miroku started when Shippo suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him on the path, almost dropping his staff in surprise.

The tiny demon didn't notice, his eyes were on the path behind him and he was a little out of breath. "There's a camp ahead, and it looks like someone left some stuff that looks important." He turned to Miroku, smiling widely and speaking in a rush. "Girls stuff." Miroku raised an eyebrow, watching as Shippo began to hop from one foot to the other in excitement.

"What kind of stuff?"

Shippo laughed and clapped his hands, turning and walking back to where he had come from while glancing over his shoulder at the following monk. He was a very social creature, and the thrill of meeting someone new was something Shippo loved. He also knew that Miroku's rather... large... appetite for women would ensure such a meeting. "The kind of stuff that would belong to someone important." He laughed. "Nothing a normal villager would own. There's a very soft cloak, that smells nice, and a silver brush with things engraved on it! They look beautiful Miroku, and well taken care of. Maybe they belong to a princess! Or maybe she's a..."

Miroku tuned Shippo out, rolling his eyes. He would be babbling on about maybe's and what if's until they met the owner of the items, and as amusing as he could be there were bigger things to worry about than some mysterious girl. They would take her things with them to Kaede, and hopefully she would be there to get them back. He idly wondered, a smile in place, about how she looked and what she would reward him with. Long midnight hair perhaps? Maybe her things were worth a kiss at least? Within the space of a few seconds Miroku's mind had dove into the gutter, and it was going to be there for a while.

(Just outside Kaede's village)

What she was doing was wrong. Kaede had nothing but good intention's, and after trying to help her Usagi was going to return the favour by letting her run blindly right into Inuyasha's grasp. Why was she doing this for him? She didn't know anything about him. They had just met a day or so ago and somewhere along the way she had bound herself to him in a way she couldn't explain, because she knew that she would go wherever he went. Perhaps it was because he had saved her from the water dragon and she felt vulnerable without him. She shook her head, glancing at Kaede as they came ever closer to the forest. No, she felt vulnerable with Inuyasha too, so that couldn't possibly be it.

"Maybe..." Usagi's voice died away, her indecision mounting. Would Inuyasha hurt Kaede? Her fingers pressed against her stomach and she frowned when there was no pain. Surely the medicine she had been given couldn't last that long for a wound like that. Usagi stopped, reaching out blindly for Kaede who came to stand in front of the girl when her hand clasped her sleeve. They're eyes met and Usagi shook her head again. "The person waiting in there isn't hurt and he isn't completely human either." Kaede frowned and stepped back from Usagi.

"Be this a trap then, girl? Be all that's been said in the hut lies?"

"No, they weren't lies!" Usagi genuinely liked Kaede, and it hurt her that the old woman would now think badly of her. "It wasn't my intention to ever put you in danger, you must believe that. It was a deal. All he wants is the answer to a question and in return he's going to protect me from the demons of this place. You've got to understand, I could have been dead already if it weren't for him." Kaede looked at the girl quizzically, frowning as she wondered what she should do. Usagi nervously looked past her and scanned the forest, looking for any indication that he could be watching. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't let Inuyasha take you by surprise."

"Inuyasha!" Kaede's sharp voice startled Usagi, and she flinched involuntarily. The look in the healers' eyes was one of utter dismay and shock, and she had turned towards the forest in a defensive stance. "He said his name be Inuyasha?!" Usagi nodded dumbly, then realized Kaede was no longer looking at her.

"Yes. He was pinned to a tree by an arrow and I thought he was dead, but when I removed..."

"You removed my sister's sacred arrow?" The old woman's eyes focused back on her own, and the hint of wonder did not go by unnoticed. Kikyo was powerful, and her sacred arrows had been more so. The idea that this young woman could have even touched the arrow was in itself something to be amazed by, but she had also been able to break its ward. "Usagi, do ye know what it is ye have done?"

Although it even sounded stupid when she said it in her head, Usagi couldn't help but speak it aloud. "I'm starting to think it's something bad?" Kaede just looked at her, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. It was then that Inuyasha came out from the trees.

(not very far away)

Jaken stared up at his master fearfully, playing with his staff in a nervous manner that made Sesshomaru want to laugh. He wouldn't though, because such emotion was beneath him. Emotion was a human trait, and something he had no need of. "Well, Jaken?" The creature by his side jumped slightly, bowing down as it spoke.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru, I do not understand it!" His voice shook and he cringed, afraid that his master would become angry with him and harm him in some way. "The staff indicates that we are close, and yet we have nowhere left to look. It is mystifying, and I don't know what should be done."

Sesshomaru looked down at his minion in disgust, the only indication of it in his eyes. His face was never anything but calm and observant. Expression was beneath him as well. "You wouldn't, would you." Jaken blinked and looked up at him stupidly. "It is of no importance anymore Jaken. I sense something new that I would like to investigate."

"My Lord?"

Sesshomaru looked away and began to walk forward, moving at a slow yet deliberate pace. Jaken followed close behind, much less gracefully. "The night before something appeared here. I can feel the pull of its magic." He glanced down at Jaken, noting the confusion on his face. "I had thought that all demons must have felt it, but apparently that is not so."

"This thing, we are going to find it now?"

A breeze stirred up, ruffling the fur on Sesshomaru's shoulder and making his long silver hair sway eerily behind him. "Exactly." Jaken nodded to himself, half jogging to keep up with his master's long strides.

(the forest)

"We've been walking for hours Miroku, why can't we stop?" The monk looked down at Shippo, suppressing a laugh. After all, the little creature really had nothing to be complaining about. Not far from the camp he had attached himself to Miroku's leg, and despite Miroku's asking, had stayed there for the entire time.

"It's not too much farther to the village, I'm sure you can make it." He grinned, shaking his head. Shippo gave an exaggerated sigh and closed his eyes, only to open them again and jump onto the path. Miroku stopped walking. "What is it?"

"Can't you hear that?" He was looking behind them.

"Hear what?" Shippo didn't answer, so Miroku focused on listening for anything out of the ordinary. After a few moments, he finally heard it. It was far away still, but coming closer fast, and it sounded big. They could hear the unmistakable sound of trees snapping in half. Miroku leapt at Shippo and picked him up, diving into the forest at the side of the trail as something huge and shadowed flew past.

"The village! They're going to need help!" Getting to his feet, Miroku stumbled back onto the path and began to run after the demon; Shippo close behind.

(edge of the forest)

Usagi inched closer to Kaede, intently watching as Inuyasha began to walk towards them. His eyes were on her, and the look on his face frightened her slightly, but she didn't let it show. Just as she was about to call out to him, he stopped and turned back towards the forest for a moment, searching.

"Stay back!" He snapped, crouching low. Usagi watched in confusion, taking a step forward just as something burst from the trees.

--

AN: Okay, please review.


	9. Oh Brother

AN: Okay, thanks everybody for all of the great reviews, they're the highlight of my e-mail's! I love reading your comments! So far there have been 2 votes for Inuyasha and 1 for Sesshomaru.

--

It was massive. How else could you describe the thing headed straight for them? Massive and dark; barely recognizable as anything but a monster. It had no features, none that could be distinguished, and it seemed to continually be shifting in shape. One moment you could see claws and jagged teeth, and the next there was nothing but an undefined mass. The only thing about the demon that seemed continuous was its reptile-like eyes, blood red and seemingly on fire. And those eyes were fixed on Usagi and Kaede.

Usagi screamed and instinctively covered her face with her arms, barely registering the fact that Kaede was pulling her down to the ground. Splinters of wood and chunks of bark bit into her flesh, even from this distance, and she cried out in pain as blood began to form in tiny droplets all over her skin. Kaede was trying to weave some kind of magic behind her - she could feel the pull of its energy - but whatever it was, it dissipated sooner than it was gathered. Cursing, the older woman tried to raise Usagi to her feet so they could run back to the village, but the princess' thigh had been impaled by a large splinter and the painful muscle spasms prevented her from even trying to move.

Inuyasha had been more then ready to attack the demon from the forest, but when he heard Usagi's muffled gasps and smelled her blood he couldn't manage to make himself move to attack. He swore under his breath and cast a disparaging look at the beast barreling down on them all before he turned and leapt towards the girl. Grabbing her around the waist, he threw her over his shoulder and began to run in the opposite direction of the impending battle.

Getting a hold of herself, Usagi planted her hands against Inuyasha's back and pushed herself up enough so she could see Kaede, slowly getting farther away. What was he doing? Why hadn't he grabbed Kaede as well? Panicking, she called the woman's name and reached out for her, tears forming in her eyes. This was all her fault… Kaede helplessly watched for a moment, then turned towards the demon closing in. It was going to kill her, and she no longer had time left to try and stop it. From behind the thing, somewhere in the forest, she could hear a man yelling at her to run, but what good would that do now? It was too late. She shook her head slightly and stared right at her doom, straightening stubbornly. No, she couldn't run now. It was too fast.

For Usagi, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Streamers of hair, mixed with Inuyasha's, flowed before her as if they were alive and reaching as well, moving as though she were floating in water, and she could no longer feel the wind rushing past as he sped them away. Confused, she touched a strand of her golden locks with her outstretched hand, watching in wonder as it wrapped slowly around her finger with the barely-there air current. Time had indeed begun to move slower. She could see Kaede - frozen in place - and the demon – moving millimeters at a time – merely a few feet away from the healer. It was going to destroy her. Tears began to run down Usagi's pale cheeks.

This could have been prevented, if only she hadn't asked Kaede to come for the sake of Inuyasha. They would have still been in the village. They could have had a warning, and had a chance. The crystal around Usagi's neck began to glow, pulsing furiously, in sync to her heartbeat. The demon seemed to be shifting position and after what felt like forever, its hungry eyes were fixed on her own, sending a shiver of disgust and revulsion down her spine. She could see its evil, could feel its hatred.

Closing her eyes, she brought her hands over her ears and screamed at it to stop looking at her, anguished as she pictured Kaede in her minds eye. She wanted to help her. She wanted to know she had at least tried. Frustrated tears ran down her cheeks and she lowered her hands to clutch Inuyasha's clothing, opening her eyes to find Kaede standing in deaths way, waiting for the end. She didn't deserve this. She was so nice... So willing to help even the strangest of strangers... It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. There had to be a way...

The crystal's pulsing slowed as Usagi's heartbeat calmed, and her eyes slid closed in a less frantic manner as she began to feel light-headed and detached from the situation. "Make it stop." She whispered, her tone pleading and yet serene all at once. A rushing sound, like rapid waters, seemed to fill her mind in an almost deafening clamor, and she could feel a powerful outward surge exploding from her body. After that, all was black.

(normal time)

Inuyasha seemed to freeze for a moment in mid leap as the strangest feeling washed over him, taking his breath away and making his eyes glimmer with the faint beginnings of tears. It lasted merely seconds, and after whatever it had been had passed, he was thrown to the ground by a force that felt like a hammer blow, barely reacting fast enough to bring Usagi from his shoulder and twist so he'd land on his back and not crush her. He grunted from the impact, winded by Usagi's body on top of him and dazed slightly as the dust and dirt around them began to settle back to the ground.

What the hell had that been? No, that didn't matter. What mattered was that there was still that thing behind them. Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha shifted and felt Usagi's hands fall to his sides limply. She was unconscious. "Damn it, Usa." Frowning, he carefully sat up and set her on the ground, being uncharacteristically careful. Getting to his feet, he turned towards the direction of the demon and braced himself, expecting anything but what he saw.

The demon was dead. Torn to pieces inches away from where the shocked healer was standing. "What the..." Suspiciously, Inuyasha leapt back to where Kaede stood and landed softly beside her, studying the gruesome remains. Parts of it were still smoking, and the lack of blood indicated that whatever had hit it had done so fast and hard. "What did this, old woman?" Kaede looked up at him in surprise.

"Did this not come from ye? The direction was from where ye were last, Inuyasha." The half-demon shook his head, poking at a black chunk by his feet.

"Woman, if this came from me then why the hell would I ask you what happened?" Kaede didn't reply, but the look she gave him was slightly reproachful. Inuyasha's ears flattened and he traced the wreckage of the demon's path back to the broken trees of the forest. There was someone walking towards them, staring at the ground in disbelief as they bypassed the larger bits of flesh. "Who the hell are you!" he called out, eyes narrowed.

Miroku stopped in mid-step, causing Shippo to run into the back of his legs. "I am the monk Miroku." His eyes trailed from Inuyasha to Kaede, and he seemed somewhat confused. His left hand was absently pulling a set of black beads around his right. "And I've come to see you, lady Kaede." Behind him, Shippo was struggling to keep the bundled up cloak he carried from dragging on the ground.

Inuyasha sniffed the air, catching Usagi's scent coming from their direction. The tiny demon behind the monk had her things from their makeshift campsite. The question was, what were they doing with them, and how had they come across them. "What are you holding, you little rat!" Shippo's face became host to a rather indignant look and his cheeks burned red as he glared right back at Inuyasha, his tiny fists clenched in the soft black material.

"Well it's definitely not yours!" he screeched, his eyes becoming squinty. Miroku frowned slightly, studying Inuyasha closely. He felt as though he should know who this demon was, but every time a glimmer of recognition sparked up, it was quickly squelched. Shippo had stepped in front of him, trying to glare down Kaede's seeming companion. His face was so red it looked as though he might explode.

"They're from a campsite not too far back." Miroku explained, his tone neutral. A fight was not what they had come looking for. "We thought we might leave them with lady Kaede to dispose of. It was at the campsite that we ran into that demon, or rather, it ran past us and we followed." He looked at the pieces scattered around them, distastefully flicking his foot to get rid of a tiny glob of something or other on his toe. Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

"And just what were you planning on doing if you caught up?" Miroku raised an eyebrow and shifted his hand against his side slightly, shrugging.

"Well whatever he planned on doing would have been better then what you were doing!" Shippo spat angrily, snarling furiously. "Anything's better then running away with your tail between your legs!" Inuyasha's arms uncrossed and his hands twitched as they were drawn into claws, perfectly ready and capable of tearing Shippo's head from his body.

"Well, well, well..." Everybody turned towards the sound of the new voice, save for Inuyasha who seemed frozen in place. Kaede gasped in surprise, taking a step back when she saw who it was, and Miroku and Shippo too looked at him in cautious recognition. Inuyasha didn't need to look. He knew by that gratingly calm, cold voice that it was none other then Sesshomaru. Slowly, he relaxed his stance completely, standing straight, and turned to look into the eyes of his most hated enemy. His brother. His ears flattened completely when he saw that Sesshomaru was crouched over Usagi's body, brushing her hair from her face.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha's voice was low and threatening, much like the look on his face. Sesshomaru raised his eyes to look at him and smiled eerily, his hand lightly resting on the fallen princess' arm.

"Does it bother you, brother?" he smirked, crouching lower over the girl. "My being so close to this woman? This... Human?" Inuyasha's hands clenched into fists, but he said nothing. Better to let Sesshomaru think that he was impartial to Usagi. Better to make him think that he could care less. Sesshomaru just laughed, scooping Usagi into his arms and standing. "Don't be an idiot, brother. I can read your feelings even if you don't show them. I'm far more powerful then the likes of you. You may not want to care for this human, but you have father's weakness."

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked in a clipped tone, barely holding onto his self control.

"A ridiculous question. I want her power. Have you nothing better?" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched and his frown deepened.

"She can't even use her power. What makes you think you can?" Sesshomaru's face lost all hint of emotion, but amusement danced in his eyes. Inuyasha had that effect on him, sometimes.

"You didn't see? Of course though. How could you have?" His head shook in a disappointed manner and he gazed at the remains of the shape-shifting demon. "All of this destruction was her doing, brother. She obliterated it with one strike." Inuyasha's eyes widened. "She tore it to pieces with a power stronger then even that of the Shikon-no-tama. Wrap your little mind around that for a while, Inuyasha. I've no more time for you." Sesshomaru turned and began to walk away.

With a cry of rage, Inuyasha leapt for his brother, not caring that he held Usagi in his arms. Sesshomaru had expected this however, and being the faster of the two, was out of the way before Inuyasha had even gotten close. Skidding to a halt, the half-demon crouched low and prepared to try again, growling low in his throat. "Fight me, coward!"

"Coward?" Sesshomaru's voice finally seemed to have an edge of malice to it, and all traces of amusement were long gone. "And just what would I be afraid of? A half-breed demon that fawns over humans?" His golden eyes glinted in the sunlight, narrowing. "Don't be stupid, brother. We'll have our fun, sooner or later, but you're not what I came for this time."

A small green and black speck could be seen in the distance, heading towards the group of six as though it were in a race and yelling something that couldn't be heard where they stood. Shippo had climbed to Miroku's shoulder and had placed a hand over his eyes to shade them, staring intently at it. "Now what do you suppose..."

Inuyasha was facing the oncoming creature, and for just a moment he let his eyes flicker from his brother to the growing form, frowning in disgust. "Jaken." The contempt and loathing in his voice was obvious.

Without a word Sesshomaru was gone, vanished back to wherever he had come from in the first place, and with him went Jaken. Inuyasha immediately started off towards the direction his brother had been walking, not caring or noticing that he was being trailed.

The only thing he cared about was that Sesshomaru had Usagi and her crystal, and he was going to gain control of both if he wasn't stopped.

--

AN: This is short I know, but final's have come up so I don't really have time to embellish between studying. I'm gonna update it before the middle of this month so don't worry, but I need you guys to tell me how it's coming along and give me some encouragement. I love hearing from people who like my idea, and suggestions are helpful too!


	10. Halfway Point

AN: Believe it or not, I had this chapter done last month. I couldn't post it however, because up until yesterday our internet wasn't working. The Shaw people came over FOUR TIMES before they finally had it fixed. I really think they need to hire more people who actually know what their doing. Anyhow, I want to thank everyone who reviewed, and I promise you, I will update this story at least every week and a half. I hope no one has lost interest in this cause they had to wait so long.

--

Jaken intensified his glare on the girl tenfold, as if the sheer anger and jealousy of his look would make her wake up at that precise moment. She didn't even twitch an eyebrow. Sighing heavily, he sat in the grass at her feet and folded his legs in front of him, his staff lying across his lap and his fingers drumming impatiently on the wood. The girl had been asleep for what seemed like forever, never stirring a muscle and lying as though she were dead. If you didn't notice the steady rise of her chest every now and then, you could easily presume it were so.

It could also easily be arranged. Shaking his head, Jaken turned his back to the girl and closed his eyes. Contemplations of her demise were all well and good, but if anything were to happen in reality Sesshomaru would be very upset with him. Why? Who the hell knew. The reason was unimportant, however. What Sesshomaru wanted was what Sesshomaru got, and as his servant it was Jaken's responsibility to see to that. No matter how disgusting the assignment. The fact was, he was completely expendable. Sesshomaru wouldn't hesitate to kill him, so he lived his life trying to make himself a valuable tool.

The imp's gaze wandered over the trees and vegetation with complete disinterest, and he briefly wondered where they might be. After his lord had transported them far from Inuyasha, all that had been revealed to him was that they were back somewhere close to where they had come from.

A low moan from the girl caused Jaken to jump to his feet in surprise, and he faced her expectantly as she began to move her head from side to side. She was waking up! Excitedly, he began to run to the place he had last seen Sesshomaru. "Master! Master, she's waking up! The girl, master!" Losing his footing, Jaken tripped and fell to his hands and knees, letting out an undignified screech as he did so. Sesshomaru turned to face him, the contempt on his face clearly visible.

"Is that so." He watched Jaken get to his feet and brush himself off, appearing almost uninterested in the news despite the fact that it had been what he was waiting for. His voice level and calm, Sesshomaru began to walk towards the girl while he spoke to his minion. "Let us see if we can," he paused for a moment, one brow rising slightly, "persuade her into describing how she uses her power."

On the forest floor, Usagi groaned once more and turned her head from side to side, a thin sheen of perspiration covering her face and body. She was waking from a dream, and it hadn't been a very pleasant one.

(dream)

There were whispers, out there in the darkness. Voices that were cruel and cold, muttering to one another as they wondered what to do with her. Usagi shuddered and buried her face farther into her arms, the thick black void making her feel as though she were drowning. Where was she? She could see nothing, not even the surface she sat on. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were folded on top of them, her hair spilling over her like a shroud as she hid her face from view. She was afraid, and so terribly alone.

Another type of whisper seemed to be approaching her, the sound of silk rustling together, and Usagi carefully lifted her face to peek out from under her hair. The blackness before her began to shimmer with tiny sparks of light, causing her to straighten her body and lower her arms as though she were about to push herself up and flee. "Listen well." The voice reverberated around her, comforting and familiar and painfully loud. Flinching, Usagi's eyes widened in recognition and she got to her feet, watching as the light show in front of her settled into a heartbreaking form.

Queen Serenity stood before her, one hand held out to her daughter imploringly while the other held the disgustingly slick protruding staff in her abdomen. She was as bloodied and beaten as Usagi remembered her being at the palace, and it took all of her self control not to vomit. The queen continued to walk towards her, and a choked sob escaped her as Usagi subconsciously took a step back. The tiny princess began to shake uncontrollably, a jumble of emotions ripping through her mind and breaking her heart yet again. When was this going to be over? When could she grieve and be done with it?

"Even you must have known that things couldn't stay as they were forever." Usagi nodded helplessly, her arms limp at her sides and her head bowed in defeat as she realized that this nightmare would only end when it wanted to end. There was nothing she could do about this, and the more she struggled to get away the worse it would end up hurting her.

Silence stretched out before her, and after what seemed like forever, Usagi slowly raised her eyes to look at her mother. For a while, neither moved or said a thing; until finally, Queen Serenity moved her free hand to clutch at the staff impaling her. "Do not let this be in vain, Serenity, they must know." Her voice had become a low hiss as she twisted the staff with a sickening noise and pulled it free, letting it clatter to the ground.

Once again, Usagi tried her best not to vomit, immediately looking away. "I... There's no way for me to warn anybody, mother. I'm stuck in a place I can never leave." Bitterness washed over her, making her anger push every other emotion away. "A place that you sent me to." She met her dead mother's gaze, stiffening where she stood and clutching her hands into fists. Enough with the sorrow. Enough with the pain. Everything that was happening to her at the moment was happening because of her mother. It was all her fault, and Usagi found it surprisingly easy to lay the blame with her.

All of a sudden it felt as though Usagi were a third party, a spectator watching as a daughter turned her back on her mother. The words that were said - filled with hate and loathing - seemed to fill up the darkness with angry and bright colours, completely lost to her. The voice had melted into nothing, and she could only see her lips moving and hear faint murmurs that were impossible to distinguish into words. Her eyes widened with each pause when her lips stilled, and regret beat on her mercilessly when her counterpart continued.

As her double spoke to her mother, the other Usagi shook her head in shame and turned to walk away, only to run into something hard and unyielding. The smell of woods surrounded her, and she breathed deeply as her head rose, starting in surprise when her eyes met a pair of golden- honey one's staring back. Inuyasha was standing before her, looking down at her with a blank expression.

Blinking in confusion, Usagi went to take a step back, only to have Inuyasha's arms envelope her into a tight and intimate embrace. "You won't leave me, Usa." His voice was quiet and calm, and extremely alluring. Usagi nodded, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders hesitantly. "I won't kill you."

Usagi screamed in pain as she felt the wound in her abdomen tear open anew, clutching at Inuyasha as her knees buckled and she sank to the ground. He let her drop, staring down at her with that same blank expression, the front of him stained with her blood. Usagi weakly tried to move away from him, but her strength seemed to drain away as quickly as the blood gushed out, and so she just lay there, writhing in pain and staring back at him in horror.

"Why?" Her voice was weak and guttural, and the question came out in one quickly expelled breath. Inuyasha seemed to look almost remorseful, slowly crouching down in front of her and placing a hand on her cheek affectionately.

"I won't." He whispered, leaning forward so their noses were almost touching. Usagi blinked back the tears and held her breath, trembling slightly as his other hand slid over her arm. "I won't kill you." Closing the distance between them, Inuyasha kissed her softly and then just seemed to disappear, leaving a stunned Usagi crouching there alone in the dark.

"What is going on?" she screamed, angrily punching the ground beside her. She couldn't stand this anymore. The mental strain of the games being played with her mind were going to make her snap if they continued, and she desperately wanted to wake up. Weakly, she lay where she crouched, closing her eyes and willing herself back to reality.

(end of dream)

When she opened her eyes next, she was face to face with a stranger staring down at her. The first thing she noticed was that his amber eyes were staring at her intently. Confused, she studied his appearance half heartedly. He had a Prussian blue crescent on his forehead and magenta stripes on each cheek, as well as long flowing silver hair, a somewhat pale complexion, and he was dressed in what looked to be some kind of strange ceremonial outfit. Her first thought was that he seemed familiar, but as the foggy haze of sleep left her all she could think of was where she could possibly be and whether or not Kaede was alright. Her eyes began to wander, looking around at the trees and pausing on the strange green creature glaring at her, before once again they were on the stranger as he began to speak in a low, soft voice.

"You're awake." Usagi nodded dumbly, tensing her muscles slightly to test whether or not she could move easily. There was no pain, and the only thing she felt was a little stiffness in her torso. The stranger, who had been leaning over her, straightened and beckoned for her to stand. Getting to her feet, Usagi looked around herself once more. "You're friends are elsewhere."

Meekly, Usagi fixed her gaze back on the man. "Who are you?" He seemed to pause for a moment as he studied her, and she returned the gesture in anxious silence. Was he a demon? She really couldn't tell for sure, but she was certain that green thing by his side was and it was enough to at least make her cautious. After all, Inuyasha looked human, not counting his ears.

"My name is Sesshomaru." He reached out and lifted one of Usagi's hands to his lips, bowing slightly as he kissed it softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. The power you hold is exquisite." Removing her hand from his, she reached up to grasp the crystal and breathed in relief to find it still there. Sesshomaru's gaze never left her eyes. "And though I can tell you're not a demon, there's something not all together human about you. Tell me, where did you come from and how is it you use your jewel?"

(elsewhere)

"Just how exactly is it that Inuyasha intends to find her?" Miroku asked, turning to Kaede as they sped after the half-demon, mounted on horses taken from the village. They had been running for half a day now, hot on the trail of the girl who had destroyed the demon from the forest. Never one to abandon a lady in distress, Miroku and Shippo had quickly offered their help to Kaede in the pursuit of Sesshomaru. Shippo, crouched in front of Miroku, turned to face the monk with a surprised look on his face.

"He's tracking her scent. You know, for a demon fighter you sure don't know very much about them." Miroku gave Shippo an amused glance before searching the sky for Inuyasha, who was slowly getting ahead of them despite the racing horses.

"I never proclaimed to be a demon fighter Shippo, I am merely a humble monk." Shippo rolled his eyes, but kept quite. "And I have no true need to know a demon's skill because it does not matter. This," he raised the hand bound in pearls, "takes care of them all no matter their strength."

Kaede intently watched Inuyasha land on the ground ahead, a frown on her face as he stopped for a moment and just stood their, staring off at something she couldn't see. Although she was glad for the chance to catch up a little, she was worried for the reason. Since Usagi had been taken, he had been chasing the invisible in an almost frantic manner, and she doubted he had even noticed they were behind him. She found the situation highly unusual.

Shippo too was staring at the half-demon, wondering what he was doing. "What else can go wrong?" He mumbled, sighing heavily.

--

AN: Please review and tell me what you think. They inspire me very much.


	11. Suspense

AN: Well, I finally have a computer again. Sort of. I typed this up on NotePad because I don't have Word, so I hope it works. Apologies for letting this story sit for so long, but it couldn't be helped. Anyway, I hope someone still wants to keep reading because I'm ready to pick up where I left off. I would love it if I get some encouragement from people in my reviews, just so I know it's not a lost cause. Also, WordPad doesn't have spellcheck, so bear with me.

--

Inuyasha crouched down slightly as he looked off into the forest, his ears swiveling forward to try and locate any sound that seemed out of place. His sense of where Usagi was had all of a sudden vanished, leaving him blinded to her whereabouts. The abruptness of it causing his instincts to go into overdrive. Kaede pulled up beside him, her horse stomping its feet impatiently as she dismounted. She stood slightly behind him, also scanning the forest for discrepancies.

"Have ye found something, Inuyasha?" She spoke softly, her hand pulling her horses reins slightly downward to try and calm it. At the moment, Kaede was willing to put aside the questions and concerns of his return, at least until Usagi was retrieved from Sesshomaru. Inuyasha turned to her and began to backtrack slowly, glancing at Shippo and Miroku as they approached. He hoped he hadn't gone too far from the spot where he had last been able to feel her power.

"I've lost her trail." He muttered, stopping a few feet away. His ears twitched as he turned back towards the forest. A grin spread over his face. "Come on Sesshomaru. You didn't really expect that to work, did you?" He laughed to himself. Miroku gave him a quizzical look, shrugging to Shippo as he dismounted and stood by Kaede. Inuyasha shook his head and started back towards them. "He's put up a shield of sorts. That moron thought I wouldn't notice until it was too late to find the edge of it." He looked up at the sky, noticing for the first time that it was beginning to get well into the evening. A few more hours and the sun would set.

Miroku followed as Innuyasha passed, Shippo and Kaede not far behind. "A shield?"

"To try and disguise her presence. To make me lose the trail. If you're too far in it's impossible to pick up again." He gestured to the clearing that surrounded them. "After a certain point it begins to follow you."

"How does a shield follow you." Miroku asked, puzzled by the concept. Inuyasha shrugged and smirked slightly. Humans were so stupid it amazed him that they hadn't become extinct yet. With thousands of different demons roaming the world that had thousands of different abilities, how was it that these insignificant creatures managed to survive a night, let alone decades. There were the odd exceptions. He looked at Kaede, catching her staring at him. She knew exactly what he meant, and he could tell she was waiting to see if he would bother to answer. She wanted to know if he could bring himself to have a conversation with the half of his species that he loathed.

"Think of it like this. You draw a large circle in the dirt, and step into the middle of it. Stepping into the middle of it triggers a trap of sorts, binding the circle to you. When you move, it moves with you, always making it so that you never leave the middle. Is that too much for you to comprehend, or do I need to dumb it down a little." He stopped and turned to Miroku, his eyes studying the monks'. Miroku shook his head and met Inuyasha's gaze without flinching, something a lot of men couldn't do. "She's in the forest. Follow me if you want, but don't expect me to wait." That said, Inuyasha turned and leapt into the trees, branches crashing as he made his way into the heart of the woods.

(the heart of the woods)

Usagi glanced over to where Jaken sat for the hundredth time, wary of what he may be doing. He hadn't moved in a long time. He just sat there, his legs crossed and his staff lying across his lap, glaring off into the forest. Sesshomaru had told him to remove his attention from her, seeing that it made her incredibly uncomfortable. She wished he had done the same. His stares were penetrating and made it impossible for the blush to leave her cheeks.

"My crystal?" She ran her fingers over its edges, not really knowing what to say. Her eyes took in her surroundings, looking for something recognizable, but coming up empty. Where was she? Sesshomaru shifted slightly, bringing her attention back to him. Her eyes took in his appearance, looking for a sign that he wasn't what he appeared to be. That he wasn't human. They came to rest on his pointed ears. "You're a demon, aren't you?" Her voice shook slightly.

Sesshomaru smiled at her, an attempt to disarm her fear. "Does that matter?" Her eyes stared into his own, almost alluring in their intensity. "Demon is just another way of saying I'm not a mortal. However, what would that make you? Tell me," he leaned towards her, his voice lowering, "does that make you a demon too?" Usagi shook her head, her eyes straying to her feet. Shesshomaru placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face, searching her eyes. "Well then, tell me. Tell me what you are."

She felt compelled to answer him, but her voice seemed to die in her throat. She was so confused. Where was Inuyasha? Why was she here, in the forest, and who were these demons whose company she found herself in? As hard as she tried, she couldn't make sense of any of it. There was an empty void in her memory, making it impossible for her to recall anything after seeing that thing go after Kaede. Taking a deep breath, she turned away from Sesshomaru and clutched the crystal at her throat. "I'm not from Earth. I'm not even from this time. I was tricked here by a demon." She waited for a response, glancing at him when there was none. He was looking at her, waiting for her to continue. "Why am I here? In this place, with you? Why have I been separated from everyone else?"

Sesshomaru smirked slightly, his eyes drawing her in. "I'm sure you can put two and two together." His voice was velvety smooth and sent chills down her spine. He stepped closer, reaching out and placing one hand around her waist, pulling her forward, and placing the other over her own on the crystal. "You hold an incredible power. One that equals something I've been seeking here for a long time." Usagi was stiff as a board in his arms, not knowing how to react. "You also interest me. Not human and yet not demon either. I want to know... I want to know everything." He could sense his brother getting closer, and it almost made him want to laugh that his simple subterfuge hadn't even stalled him. Almost. It didn't matter. Inuyasha wasn't a threat to him.

"And what if I don't cooperate?" Usagi's eye's hardened slightly and she made an effort to step back, gasping in shock when Sesshomaru's grip tightened around her waist and the hand that had been on hers slid up to fist in her hair. His gaze seemed to swallow her whole and she suddenly felt in full force the danger of her situation. He smiled, tilting his head to the side as he studied her. Leaning in, he pulled her head to his shoulder, his lips inches from her ear.

"You will." he whispered, stroking his hand through her hair idly. "You will.

--

AN: I know it's short, but I want to know people are still reading before I continue. I don't want to waste time writing a story people are no longer interested in.


	12. Sticky Situation

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! It's so great to know people are still interested after all this time. Thanks for the encouragement. Still not set on the pairing here, looking back at some reviews it looks like most people want Sesshomaru and Usagi. I like Innuyasha's character so much though, that it could go either way at this point. Well anyhow, here's a new chapter. I intended to make it longer, but I was having trouble deciding where I wanted this to go. Don't worry though, by the next time I post a chapter, it'll be at least twice this size if not more. Please review and tell me what you think.

--

Inuyasha could tell he was closing in. The canopy of the trees around him seemed to be dancing as he leapt from one branch to the next, streamers of sunlight rippling across the lush forest ground. Shivering in anticipation it seemed. A bird took flight as he landed near, the two of them taking off as one. Its delicate wings dipping gracefully as it caught an air current and used it to glide out ahead of him. He spared a momentary glance its way, noting the yellow bands that tipped its wings and tail in sharp contrast to its black body. As if it felt the look, the bird sang out in a high piercing whistle, flapping its wings powerfully and lifting itself until it broke through the canopy and was out of sight.

He wished he could break away from it all and feel that sense of burdenless freedom too, but only for an instant. He could never change the cards fate had dealt him, but would he truly want to? How different would he be, if he had been born a full demon? Would he have turned out like Sesshomaru? Perhaps instead of Jaken, it would be Inuyasha at his brothers' side. Perhaps the two of them would have been allies. He shook his head. No, Sesshomaru would never be willing to share what lay under his dominance. Sooner or later, they would turn against one another in a battle to prove who was truly the most powerful. And if he had been born mortal? What then? Maybe he would have lived a normal life by a villagers' standard. Maybe he would have still fallen in love with Kikyo, and they would be together now. Either way, Inuyasha couldn't picture himself as anything other then what he was.

His ears swiveled back as he caught the sound of branches snapping and horses snorting in protest. The others weren't very far behind him, but the distance was growing larger with every leap forward. The trees were thick here, and even if a horse could keep up to him under normal conditions, there was no way it would be able to do so when it had to weave its way through the vegetation. Kaede and Miroku would just have to find their own way if they lost sight of him. He simply had no reason to wait.

Landing in a crouch on the ground, Inuyasha took off at a dead run. Usagi had been alone with Sesshomaru for a long time now, and there was no telling what was going on. If his brother had gotten her to relinquish her crystal, then it was going to be a hell of a time getting it back from him. If he even could. The fact that the relatively small jewel had utterly destroyed the demon that had attacked earlier was a strong testament to its capabilities, and he was positive that Usagi didn't know yet how to control it completely; otherwise she wouldn't still be in this feudal era. If Sesshomaru somehow did, then this battle was over before it began.

A small breeze made its way through the forest, carrying with it her scent. In mere moments, he would reach them.

(the center of the forest)

Usagi remained stiff in Sesshomaru's arms, not really knowing what to do. She closed her eyes, surprised that tears were beginning to form. Why was this happening to her? Hadn't she been through enough? It was insane how her life could turn from a fairytale into a nightmare so quickly. Every breath she took made her tremble, and she knew he could feel it. How could he not? She could feel his every heartbeat, every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, every brush of his lips as he spoke to her in this strange intimate way. Her eyes opened slowly, but all she could see was the white of his clothing and hair. It struck her as ironic that beings so cold and aloof instigated such close physical contact with something they had no particular love for. Was it the intimidation? Were they attracted to the feelings of confusion and fear they inspired? She wondered if Inuyasha felt like that, if the few times he touched her were meant to get a similar reaction.

"What did it look like?" Sesshomaru asked, stepping away from her and facing the screen of trees that surrounded them. There was a chance he might know who it was that had given him this opportunity, and if he did he would need to destroy them fast. It would be stupid to let whoever it was track him down first, and depending on how powerful it was he might need the element of surprise. Usagi shook her head in confusion.

"What?" Sesshomaru looked at her over his shoulder briefly, raising an eyebrow.

"You told me a demon tricked you here. What did it look like?" Usagi just stared at him for a moment, wondering why he would ask. To bring up the memories of the demon, she would also bring up the memories of her mother. But then, if the demon came from this era and had that kind of power, wouldn't Sesshomaru know who it was?

"I thought it was a man at first," Usagi answered softly, "but there was something...off about it that couldn't have been human." She sighed heavily and sat down, trying to remember the vision she had so desperately wanted to erase from memory. "He – or it – looked wiry, like its arms and legs were too long. I think its skin was greenish as well, but it was wearing clothing and I could only see its head. I'll never forget those eyes; black as night, disturbingly solid over the entire surface with red pinpoints for what I assume were pupils." She shivered slightly and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on the back of her hands. "Sharp teeth that made it look like a steel trap when it smiled. And power. Power strong enough to defeat my mother." Sesshomaru turned to her, his head tilted in that odd manner that tells you someone is listening to you while thinking long and hard about something in particular. She looked into his eyes, trying to read him the way he seemed able to read her. "Do you know who it might have been?"

What she had described could have been any number of demons. He could think of three off the top of his head, but knew there were much more. Demons had a knack for spreading rapidly, which was what made living in the feudal era as a human so dangerous. For every mortal out there, there were ten demons that looked mortal. For every one of those, there were thirty demons that looked like a myriad of things. The human population was less then half of what it once was, and diminishing more every day. Not that he really cared. He looked down at Usagi, wondering what she could be. Wondering what she could do. "That kind of a description doesn't narrow it down for me."

Usagi sighed and shut her eyes, at a loss about what she should do. Sesshomaru watched her brows twitch slightly as she opened them partway and stared into the trees, then glanced briefly back his way. He smirked in amusement, moving closer to her and placing a hand on the top of her head so that if she even flinched, he would feel it. "Don't even think about it, Usagi." His voice was low, almost a murmur. "I would kill you before you even took five steps. Your life is a privilege at the moment, and of no consequence to me. Sooner or later, I would find a way to use your crystal… without you." Usagi lifted her head and glared at him defiantly.

"I highly doubt that." Sesshomaru just smiled and slid his hand down to rest under her chin, pulling her face up as he leaned down close enough for her to feel his breath on her lips. She didn't give him the satisfaction of reacting this time, but his smile became a smirk anyway. His eyes glinted mischievously as they narrowed, boring into her own as though he could see right through her.

"Just because you've never heard of it being done, that has nothing to do with whether or not it's possible." His thumb stayed on her chin as the rest of his fingers splayed over her cheek, almost as if he were cupping a lovers' face. Usagi flushed in shame as her stomach twisted in knots, not entirely out of disgust. "After all, this is a different world. A different time." He chuckled softly, the heat from her face penetrating his fingers. She may not be human, but her emotions ruled her the same as any mortal female he had ever come across. Although he had no particular interest in their kind, it was amusing to make them squirm. There was a power that could be held over females that he had never quite seen affect males in such a deeply disturbing way. Perhaps it was a trait he had been unfortunate enough to get from his father, this inclination towards beautiful young girls.

Usagi pulled her face away from his touch, relieved when he straightened. "I want to know where Inuyasha and the others are." Her voice came out amazingly steady, considering she was trembling uncontrollably on the inside. Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side, contemplating whether or not he wanted to tell her anything. She lowered her eyes to stare at the grass around her feet, absently running a hand through it. "Please."

Jaken, all but forgotten, ran up to Sesshomaru and fell at his feet as if he had run a marathon. "Master," he panted, using his staff as leverage to get up, "he's almost reached the clearing." Sesshomaru nodded dismissively, turning once again to the screen of trees.

"My brother is tracking you as we speak." Usagi shook her head in confusion, standing up and brushing the grass from her clothes.

"Your brother?"

"Yes." He stared intently at the trees canopy, raising his hand slightly as it began to glow a faint metallic blue. "Inuyasha thinks he can get you and your crystal back." Usagi gasped in shock, her eyes widening. Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's brother? She didn't know what was going on, and before she could even think of something to say, Sesshomaru leapt forward into the trees. Jaken placed himself in her line of vision, getting her attention.

"Don't even think of trying to run."

(the forest)

Inuyasha had barely cleared the ground when a streak of light flashed by, sending up a shower of dirt and vegetation behind him. He used a nearby tree to rebound off of, back flipping and landing off to the side of the blasted site. He immediately got into a defensive stance; scanning his surroundings for the only person he knew it could be, Sesshomaru. As if on cue, his older brother stepped into sight, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword he carried.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha demanded, his voice low and threatening. Sesshomaru drew his sword, pointing it back towards the clearing.

"You'll have to get past me first, little brother, if you want her and her power." Inuyasha smirked, his feet bracing as he prepared to attack.

"That's fine with me." Growling, Inuyasha took off towards Sesshomaru, lifting his clawed hand in preparation as it began to glow a faint red.

--

AN: Well, let me know what you think.


	13. Serenity

Inuyasha braced himself as best he could as he flew backwards through the trees, branches as thick as his arms snapping as they connected with his body. The force of him crashing through the canopy seemed to take forever to start to slow, until finally he found himself hanging upside down ten feet off the ground, one foot wedged between a forked branch. Anger seemed to set his entire body on fire, coursing through his veins in an uncontrolled torrent that swept away all rational thought. Kicking himself free, he twisted as he fell and landed on his feet in a deadly crouch. Any thoughts of Usagi had been pushed to the back of his mind, drowned out by the pulsating rage he held towards his brother. Sesshomaru. His hands tensed into claws and he growled low in his throat, shifting his balance to the balls of his feet as his eyes took in everything around him at once. Sensing movement to his immediate left, he sprinted forward and flung himself into a shoulder roll that turned him around to face his attacker.

Sesshomaru grinned maliciously, the blade of his sword resting against his shoulder. His stance was completely relaxed, as though he were in an idle conversation instead of a battle. "A half-demon like you will never be stronger than me, brother. Why even try?" Inuyasha's hateful glare intensified, and he growled low in his throat.

"Strength doesn't necessarily determine the outcome of a battle and you know it. I just have to bide my time until you either make a mistake, or I outsmart you." Sesshomaru laughed derisively, but Inuyasha remained unphased. "The fact that you so obviously underestimate me ensures that I will get the upper hand, sooner or later. Your pride is your weak point Sesshomaru."

"As is yours, brother," Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha rolled his shoulders to loosen the stiffness that had settled between them, his clawed hands twitching in anticipation. With his sword, Sesshomaru definitely had an advantage over the half-demon, since he fought best in a close proximity. In his peripheral vision, he saw a thick tree branch, the diameter of his wrist and the length of his body, lying on the forest floor. Yelling in rage, Inuyasha dove for it, gripping it firmly in both hands as he rushed at Sesshomaru. The sound of the flat of a sword meeting thick oak echoed through the forest as the brothers glared hatefully at one another, inches apart.

In a matter of seconds, Inuyasha, holding his makeshift staff at either end, threw all of his weight into pushing Sesshomaru away at an awkward angle, causing his brother to sink to one knee in order to maintain his balance and use one of the hands that had been holding the sword to steady himself. Taking advantage of the opening, Inuyasha swung the branch as hard as he could into the flat of the blade near the hilt. It flew out of Sesshomaru's hand and disappeared through the tree's towards the clearing where Usagi was being held. Having regained his balance, Sesshomaru grabbed the heavy branch, enraged, and spun it around so both it and his brother, who was unwilling to relinquish his hold, went flying off in a similar direction for a few feet, slamming into a tree. "You will not defeat me you mongrel!" Sesshomaru roared, as he flew at his brother, his fist aimed at Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha barely managed to duck out of the way and scramble to the side as Sesshomaru's fist exploded through the thick trunk. Sesshomaru immediately readjusted himself, eyes narrowed and locked on Inuyasha's equally heated gaze.

"She's of no use to you, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "She doesn't even know how to use that crystal of hers!" Sesshomaru smirked, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.

"That's of no consequence. She was able to use it perfectly fine on the demon outside of the village." He bared his fangs in a viscous smile. "At the very least, she can use it subconsciously. I'm sure I can coax her to use it again," his smile grew, "to my advantage of course." Inuyasha growled in disgust as he braced himself. Sesshomaru ran at him full tilt, feinting a high kick which switched to a leg sweep at the last instant and effectively laid Inuyasha out on his back. Sesshomaru's foot came crashing down onto Inuyasha's left arm, and he wrenched the makeshift staff out of his brothers grip, whipping it into the tree's so hard it disappeared from sight. Sesshomaru reached down and grabbed his brother's throat with one hand, stepping off of his arm as he lifted Inuyasha up until his feet dangled a foot of the ground. Inuyasha grabbed at his arm with both hands futilely, the pressure around his neck felt like an iron band constricting. Amber eyes clashed with gold as Sesshomaru glared up at his brother. "You're pathetic. If she's as useless as you claim, why the hell are you here for her?"

Spots began to swim before Inuyasha's eyes as he struggled to breath, the pressure and lack of air making him feel like his head would explode. His brain was frantically trying to find a way out of his brothers' grasp, but the longer it took, the harder it got to think straight. His anger seemed to consume him at that very moment, but it was not directed at Sesshomaru. He was angry at himself, for not being strong enough; for always losing or ending in a draw. He knew he was no match for his brother, but he had always hoped that he would eventually find some advantage that would lead to a solid victory, just once. If Sesshomaru managed to gain control over Usagi in order to use her crystal, everything he had ever worked for would become impossible. Desperately, Inuyasha tightened his grip on his brothers' arm, his claws leaving deep and angry looking wounds. Sesshomaru's fingers twitched, which was all the opening Inuyasha needed. He swung his knees up tightly to his chest and kicked Sesshomaru with every ounce of strength he had left. Sesshomaru's grip slipped free and he staggered backwards, leaving behind four bloody claw marks on one side of his brothers' neck, and one deeper gash on the other.

Before either of them could move towards the other, they heard a decidedly feminine voice scream in outrage, followed by a deafening crack and an answering horrified cry. Without missing a beat, both turned towards the clearing Usagi had been left in, racing to get there first.

(The Clearing)

Jaken glared at the young girl in front of him, daring her to try something with his eyes. He knew she didn't understand how her power worked, and that fact made him confident she would be too afraid to try anything. Usagi just stared back at him, standing stiffly with an unreadable expression on her beautiful face. They could hear Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's battle within the trees, echoing around them blow for blow, shout for shout. Because of the background noise of the fight, Jaken didn't hear the group coming out of the forest behind him until it was too late, and Miroku's staff had flung him a few feet across the clearing. As Kaede and Shippo ran to Usagi, Miroku began to unwind the black beads on his right hand, but Jaken recovered faster than expected, raising his own staff and striking against the ground. A ball of fire shot out of the top and flew at the monk with blinding speed. Miroku did not have time to avoid it, and when the dust had settled, he was lying on the ground, unmoving.

Usagi screamed in outrage, the confusion and roiling emotions of the last few days manifesting and causing her to burst. Her crystal reacted, pulsing angrily, and Jaken's staff shattered in his hands with a deafening crack. Horrified, Jaken cried out in surprise, dropping the splintered pieces of wood as if they burned him. Shippo and Kaede had come to a surprised standstill, watching in surprise as Usagi ran to Miroku and knelt by his side. She deftly flipped him over onto his back, her hand resting on his neck. When she felt his pulse, she let out the breath she had been holding. Except for a minor burn to his right arm, he was in amazingly good condition. Whoever he was, he had tried to help her and he was travelling with Kaede, which meant she was in his debt. Remembering Kaede, Usagi stood and began to run towards her, happy that the older woman was all right. Halfway there, she came to a sudden halt, a strong arm wrapped around her waist. Her head swivelled to look over her shoulder, right into a pair of angry amber eyes.

Sesshomaru held Usagi's so close, the entire back of her body was crushed against the front of his. Inuyasha came to a skidding halt a few feet in front of the pair, crouching as though he were ready to spring. "Let her go," he demanded, the threat clear in his voice. Sesshomaru chuckled, using his free hand to brush Usagi's hair over her shoulder and leaning down until his lips were just barely brushing against her ear.

"How romantic," he whispered, so only she heard. "Whatever interest my brother has in you is strong. And I don't think this," his fingers traced lightly down her neck to rest on her crystal, "is the only cause." Usagi's eyes widened, her face flushed. Sesshomaru raised his voice so that Inuyasha would hear him, but still spoke in an intimate, husky tone. "I can see why you would be so attracted to this girl, dear brother. She's breathtaking, is she not?" She was still looking up at his face, and his gaze lowered to her eyes with a smouldering look. Usagi's breath caught in her throat as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Her entire body seemed to blush, betraying her. "So easily flustered. It takes so little to provoke a response." His gaze shifted to his brother's eyes once more, and he smiled maliciously. "So easily manipulated." Looking back at her, he grabbed her chin with his cold fingers and lowered his face as if leaning in for a kiss.

Usagi couldn't help herself as her eyes shut tightly in anticipation, both horrified and strangely excited. Tears fell from her closed eyes. She had never kissed anyone for real, and the circumstances surrounding this one made her heart feel like it would break. She knew she was being used to tease Inuyasha. She knew Sesshomaru held no admirable feelings towards her whatsoever. To be kissed by him would be such a cold and empty thing. Her first kiss would mean nothing. She used to fantasize that her first kiss would be shared with the man she would spend the rest of her life with, and that it would be a romantic and spectacular thing that would bind them together for eternity. The loss of this dream broke her heart in two, for a future with Sesshomaru by her side was unlikely. At the same time, Usagi was by no means blind, and for a man, Sesshomaru was beautiful. Everything about him was seductive. To kiss such a man would not necessarily be so bad, but for the heartbreak. And then her dream flashed before her eyes, and she remembered Inuyasha's kiss. It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. Her eyes opened and she wrenched her head out of his grasp before he could close the distance between their lips.

Sesshomaru merely chuckled, amused at her resistance. She looked at the forest floor mournfully, her vision blurred by the building tears. Was she just a toy to them? Someone to be played with, whether it hurt her or not? It was unbearable, being used in such a way. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut again, and her hands clenched into fists at her side. It was all over the Silver Imperium Crystal. Angrily, she wished it would just disappear.

A familiar rushing sound, like rapid waters, seemed to fill her mind in an almost deafening clamour, and she could feel a powerful outward surge exploding from her body. Time seemed to slow. Sesshomaru was flung from her as if struck by a mighty hammer blow, the concussion of air that originated from her striking down a surprised Inuyasha, Kaede, and Shippo as well. Her feet lifted from the ground and her arms and head were thrown back as a burning sensation ripped through her chest; making her feel as if every nerve were on fire. The pain was intense and incredibly agonising, and her vision failed her as a bright white light seemed to envelope her. Her body felt strange, and her forehead began to burn as well as her crescent moon reacted to whatever was happening. She could feel her clothes melting away from her to be replaced by something new, and she could feel her hair becoming heavier. The burning in her chest and the white light around her intensified to a point that made her feel as though she would die any second, and then all of a sudden, it was all over.

Usagi was panting heavily, and had fallen weakly to her knees. Struggling, she stood, blinking her eyes to clear away the specks of light haunting her vision so she could focus. The first thing she noticed was that everyone present was staring at her. The second thing she noticed was the two long streamers of hair that billowed in front of her gently in a small gust of wind. She looked down at herself in surprise. She was wearing a white dress all too familiar to her. Strapless, it hugged her chest tightly, golden rings decorating the top and a row of pearls laced along the empire-waist hem line. Billowy soft white fabric made up the rest of it, draping down to her toes. At the center of the back of the hemline was a large bow, its ends reaching mid thigh. A hand adorned with a pearl bracelet lifted to touch her hair, lightly brushing over the pearl barrette she knew matched another, affixed on either side of her head. Farther back, she felt the sphere of hair that formed the base of one of her two pigtails, and she drew the loose hair flowing from it forward over her shoulder in wonder. Its length almost reached her ankles. Her eyes flickered to Inuyasha briefly, who was staring at her open-mouthed, before glancing down to her chest. Her wonder froze in her chest like ice. The Silver Imperium Crystal was no longer around her neck. Panicked, she looked up at everyone else, eyes wide.

They had all gotten to their feet, and had arranged themselves into two clusters. To her left stood Sesshomaru and Jaken, and to her right stood Inuyasha, Miroku, Kaede and Shippo. Most of them were looking at her as if she had grown another head. Kaede took a small step forward, her hesitation clear. "What be you, child?" Her voice was soft in amazement. Usagi's eyes rested on hers sadly.

"I am Princess Serenity," she answered softly, "ruler of the moon kingdom and ultimate guardian of the Silver Millennium." Her eyes lowered to the ground at her feet. By no means was she a stupid girl, and so when she felt a slight throb in her chest in response to her sadness, she was immediately aware of what the proceeding events meant. "Rightful wielder of the Silver Imperium Crystal." Which she now knew had become merged with her body, in response to her foolish wish. Her gaze shifted to Sesshomaru, whose face gave no inclination of his thoughts. "Only wielder of the Silver Imperium Crystal," she added, her tone grim.


	14. Entourage

AN: Thank you for all the great reviews! I'm honoured I still have readers, quite honestly. It makes me feel really happy that despite the long period between updates people still want to wait it out. I've been sidetracked for a while, but my motivation is definitely back and in full force!

* * *

Serenity wearily kept an eye on the staring group as she made her way to Miroku. She placed one hand gently over the burn on his arm. A soft silver glow emanated from beneath it, and time seemed to slow. The others watched closely, a range of expressions on their faces, as Miroku's arm healed. Serenity pulled her hand away and stepped back, looking wearily at all those staring eyes. Her gaze flickered over the two brothers.

She went to Inuyasha first. Her eyes narrowed slightly when he took half a step back from her as she lifted her hands, reaching for his neck. His own hands came up and wrapped around her wrists in a vice-like grip before anyone could even blink. Her mouth parted slightly, but before she could speak he cut in sharply, voice low. "They'll heal on their own. I don't want your help." She glared up at him, chin high. She didn't really care if he wanted her help or not. He was getting it.

This time the silver glow was so bright, it was difficult to look at. It shot out from where Inuyasha's hands gripped hers and traveled the length of his arm, resting around his neck like a collar for a brief moment before it died out completely, leaving smooth skin in its wake. She jerked her wrists out of his grip, taking advantage of his momentary shock. Healing could be painless, if the healer wanted it to be so, but Inuyasha's ingratitude had angered Serenity to the point of her wanting him to feel every single cell knitting back together at once. She had heard from other healers that it felt much like it did when they were damaged in the first place, and she hoped it would make him realize she wasn't as fragile or as human as he seemed to think she was.

She turned away from him harshly, her skirts and hair twirling around her legs, and angrily strutted to Sesshomaru, her chin still held high and her back stiff as a board. She looked very much like a princess at that moment; one who wasn't getting her way. He merely stood there, watching her advance with a strange glint in his eyes. Shippo stepped forward and opened his mouth as if he were about to object, but Kaede's hand clamped over it tightly, and she shook her head when he turned to look at her. Serenity had stopped in front of Sesshomaru and was looking at him as though she dared him to object as well, but he just stood looking down at her passively. One hand lifted to hover over his injured arm, and the soft silver glow did its job one last time. She glared over her shoulder at Inuyasha, making him feel as though she were about to stick her tongue out at him. He just rolled his eyes in response.

"Well, this is quite an interesting development." Serenity's eyes met Sesshomaru's as he spoke, his voice low. Their gaze seemed locked, and she suddenly felt as though he were trying to read her mind like an open book. All of a sudden, she didn't feel half as confident as she had. She wondered if he could read minds. If he was reading hers right this second. There had to be an infinite amount of things demons could do, and she suddenly realized she knew extremely little about both brothers. He was looking at her in the most peculiar way, like the cat that ate the canary, as Telulu used to say. She could feel the heat of her skin as she began to blush, completely against her will. She tried to squash the feeling and regain her control, sliding her eyes from his own to a point just above his left ear. In her peripheral vision she could see the grin form on his face.

"A thank you would do just fine, you know." She bit out, speaking through clenched teeth. The hands at her sides tightened into fists. She spoke loud enough that both Miroku and Inuyasha knew the comment was directed at them as well. Miroku's response was immediate.

He strode over to Serenity at once and knelt at her side, causing her to turn towards him in surprise. He lifted her right hand in both of his own, gazing up at her with wide sincere eyes and an apologetic smile. "Lovely princess, please beg my pardon." His voice was low and husky, and Serenity got the impression he had charmed many a woman with it. "I am the monk Miroku, and I am entirely in your debt, beautiful Serenity. Ask anything of me, anything at all, and it's yours." He lifted her hand slightly, kissing the back of it. His manner was extremely courtly at that moment, and if it hadn't been for the fact she was all of a sudden super aware of her surroundings she might have thought she was back at her palace. As it was, her blush darkened and spread all the way down to her chest in embarrassment. He was still kissing her hand. Serenity had never felt so incredibly uncomfortable. She was at a loss for words, and here Miroku knelt, _still_ kissing her hand.

Inuyasha's eyes were dangerously narrowed as he closed the short distance between himself and Miroku, and he didn't hesitate once in reach to grab Miroku's ponytail and pull his head sharply back, causing the indecent monk to fall backwards on the flat of his back. Inuyasha placed the heel of his foot on the monk's throat with just enough pressure to make him squirm. "Don't ever touch her like that again, vermin." His voice was a low, threatening growl, and his ears were flat and pointed back. Miroku stared at his exposed fangs, shocked.

"Inuyasha!" Serenity cried out in protest. He glanced up at her, than grudgingly removed his foot. Serenity's heart was thudding in her chest like she had just run a marathon. This was all just too ridiculous. She had never paid much attention to the opposite sex before, besides the occasional appreciative glance. Now she felt like she was surrounded by three guys that were too hot for their own good, and they all seemed to have an agenda when it came to her. She wasn't in the least bit flattered about it either. She suddenly wished she had paid more attention to some of the female staff at the palace. There had been girls who could wrap as many men as they wanted around their pinkie fingers, never losing their control. She could have used that skill right about now.

Shippo had squirmed out of Kaede's grasp and had made his way unnoticed to stand before Serenity, looking up at her in awe. Her eyes slid from Inuyasha's face to Shippo's, somewhat taken aback. They stared at each other silently, until finally Serenity began to feel awkward. She leaned slightly forward, her head tilted to the left slightly. "Well hello there." She smiled tentatively, taking in Shippo's appearance.

Shippo smiled widely, practically shivering in excitement. "You're so pretty," he whispered, blushing. Serenity blushed warmly in response, smiling down at him.

"Why thank you." She hesitated slightly, then lifted her skirts out from under her and lowered herself gracefully to the ground, sitting before him. "And just who might you be?"

"My name is Shippo." He was obviously excited. "I'm a fox demon! I knew you would be pretty!" Serenity shook her head in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about. Had he heard of her somehow? Shippo took a small step forward and fisted his hands in the hem of her skirts; practically trembling he was so keyed up. "We found your things at a campsite," he was speaking so fast she had trouble keeping up, "and we have them with us, too! They're in the saddle bag." He pointed through the trees, towards where they had left the horses. "I know they're yours – they must be – because they're pretty too. And expensive looking. And something only a princess could possibly own."

Serenity's smile this time was sincerely warm. She could tell that this little creature was young, and had a pure, kind heart. She lifted her hand and ruffled her fingers through his hair. "Well, I'm indebted to you it would seem. How can I return the favour?" Shippo seemed to be vibrating, he was so happy. His eyes sparkled up at her, child-like and innocent.

"Will you be my mommy?" It came out in a whisper, and at first Serenity wasn't sure she'd heard right.

Her hand pulled away and settled in her lap as she looked at him in surprise. "Where are your real parents?" Shippo didn't say anything in response. By his mannerisms she could tell he was trying, but whatever the response was it was upsetting him so much it left him debilitated. She shook her head gently, smiling. "It's ok. You don't have to answer." The tension left Shippo's body like water pouring from a bucket. "I can be your friend, Shippo. If you'd like that." He made an inarticulate noise in the back of his throat and lunged towards her, flinging his arms around her as he dove into her lap. She hugged him back, petting his head. It was nice, being able to provide comfort and being comforted at the same time. Her eyes swept over the three men watching her. At least Shippo had no ulterior motive.

Kaede had moved closer to the group, and now she cleared her throat to gain Serenity's attention. "What be your intentions now, Serenity." Serenity looked up at her for a moment without responding, then sighed as she extracted herself from Shippo's hold and stood, clasping her hands before her.

"Now, I find the one who came to my kingdom." She paused, her eyes meeting each of the group's in turn. "I find who sent them. And I destroy all those involved in the destruction of the Silver Millennium." Her voice was icy as she uttered the last statement, and her knuckles were white, but she seemed to relax quickly. Almost as quickly, a different look crossed over her face and her eyes met and held Sesshomaru's. "I would appreciate all of your help." The way she said it made it seem more of a demand then a request. "I'm a foreigner here, after all. I need people who can guide me, who know where to look for information, and who have enough power to stand with me; if it came to that." She paused for a moment, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "And I think it is the least _some_ of you can do." When Sesshomaru didn't even blink, her eyes flickered to Inuyasha. He looked somewhat guilty, but made no reply.

"I'll help you Serenity!" Shippo said excitedly, clutching her skirt in his hand.

"As will I." Kaede stated, calm as ever. Serenity smiled appreciatively, and took up Kaede's hand in her own in thanks.

"Of course I will help, beautiful Princess." Miroku said smoothly, bowing slightly. "I could never leave such a fair maiden in distress." Serenity smiled at him as well, and nodded back. She turned to look at Inuyasha again. His eyes narrowed at her and his ears flattened.

"There are things I want to ask Kaede." He spoke through clenched teeth and his voice was steely. "I'll travel with you. For now." They stared at each other for a while, expressionless and unmoving. Serenity was the first to look away, taking a step to the side while releasing Kaede so that she was facing Sesshomaru squarely once more.

She didn't speak at first, and their gazes were locked through a stretching silence that far outlasted that which she had shared with Inuyasha. He looked at her as though he was calculating his options carefully and her at him as if she fully intended to force his cooperation if it were needed. And she would. Although she didn't know where he fit in the hierarchy of things in this feudal era, she could tell by the grudging respect and wide birth the others gave him that he was someone important. Someone powerful. He could be the difference between success and failure, and failure was not an option. After what seemed like forever, the unreadable look on his face melted into a smirk, though his eyes remained expressionless. "For now." He echoed his brother, voice soft. Serenity said nothing.

"I follow my Lord wherever he goes." Jaken muttered grumpily. "Even if he chooses to travel with vermin." Nobody responded, but Inuyasha's intense look caused Jaken to shift just enough that he was behind Sesshomaru. Inuyasha snorted in contempt.

"It's settled then." Serenity breathed out in a sigh of relief, feeling the tension that had been coiled inside her loosen. "I suppose I should start by explaining everything from the beginning." The group stood in silence as Serenity told them what had brought her to their world, and their era, listening intently. As she spoke, the day wore on and clouds began to fill the sky. When she had finished it was late into the afternoon, and the first fat raindrops were just beginning to fall.

* * *

AN: Please review!


	15. Uriel

AN: I honestly don't know what to say about the wait. I really wasn't expecting it to happen, and I don't recall what sidetracked me. My apologies. I'm determined to finish this, and foresee no other issues arising to get me off track this time.

* * *

The group had begun traveling soon after Serenity's explanation, following Sesshomaru's lead into his territory. They had come to the decision that his control over the western lands would enable them to search for the demon that had brought Serenity to their era with the least amount of problems. As ruler of such a vast territory, Sesshomaru had access to avenues of information from both human and demon subjects. With no being that had yet proven his better -or even equal- in regards to raw power, they were also more likely to have their questions answered with him along.

Generally Sesshomaru stayed ahead of the group with Jaken at his side, separating himself from the rest of them by enough distance that the pair could converse with no fear of being heard. Even by Inuyasha's sensitive ears. Kaede rode with Serenity –who sat side saddle due to her gown- and beside them Shippo rode with Miroku, who spoke with the princess animatedly. Every now and then, he would earn a deep blush or a laugh that sounded as beautiful as music to his ears, while Kaede scolded him for what she considered improper suggestions or blatant innuendo. Inuyasha trailed along in the wake of the horses, seemingly disinterested in everything around him. Kaede was the only one to notice how every male's eye immediately focused on Serenity whenever she laughed, and she shook her head ruefully each time. To be young and beautiful drew attention that could harm as much as help, and although she could be reasonably sure what to expect from Miroku in regards to Serenity, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's interest was a dangerous thing.

The four riders shared much about themselves, getting to know one another as they travelled and finding that they got along remarkably well. Serenity quickly got them into the habit of calling her Usagi instead of by her title, explaining its Earth origins to her given name. Kaede pointed out that it was for the best anyway, since the demon that was after her knew who she truly was. This sobered the group, and they lapsed into silence as they ran out of things to say. After a while, Usagi –not used to riding and finding it uncomfortable for an extended period of time- dismounted and made her way over to Inuyasha's side.

She studied him quietly for a moment, receiving no acknowledgement whatsoever. "For someone who seemed so adamant to speak with Kaede, you have yet to ask her anything." Her voice was soft and light, tinged with inquiry. Inuyasha glanced at her, his golden-honey coloured eyes narrowing.

"The way you four were going on and on, I'm surprised you all didn't pass out from a lack of oxygen," he growled out. "If you came over here expecting me to fill you in on my past so we can become best friends you're in for some serious disappointment." Usagi blushed a light shade of pink, her own eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Being nosy doesn't become you, Usa," he continued in a lazy drawl. Usagi's jaw tightened, but she said nothing in response. A moment passed in silence as the two glared at one another, but Usagi was finding it increasingly difficult to meet his gaze.

Clearing her throat, Usagi looked away first and waved as she called out to Kaede. "Inuyasha would like to speak with you," she shouted, when the older woman turned to her. Kaede nodded and slowed her horse, steering it towards Inuyasha. Usagi glanced back at him reproachfully, inwardly pleased at the flash of annoyance she saw in his eyes. "There's more than one way to be a coward, Inuyasha," she said quietly. His eyes darkened as she sped up her pace and made her way towards Sesshomaru, not once looking back at him.

The way Inuyasha had been keeping himself distant from the riders had not escaped Usagi's notice. After his plan to get Kaede out of her village, she would have thought that the instant things had calmed down he would have taken the first opportunity to speak with her. It was obviously something important to him, or he would have had no reason to have sought her out in the first place. The fact that she was in the middle of conversing with others wouldn't have been a deterrent to him either; he was much too impulsive and held no regard for doing what was polite. He was putting off talking to her, for one reason or another. His seeming disinterest merely a facade for his preoccupied thoughts.

Usagi slowed as she reached Sesshomaru's side, matching her pace to his. Idly, she noticed Jaken had disappeared. Her gaze scanned her surroundings, and she soon caught sight of him a ways to Sesshomaru's left, glaring at her angrily. Her eyes slid to Sesshomaru's, who was already watching her. He smirked slightly, clearly amused.

"Doesn't seem to take much to get on his bad side," she said softly, nodding towards Jaken.

"He's afraid of you," Sesshomaru replied, his eyes never leaving hers. "Probably for the best." Usagi didn't ask him to clarify. After a moment, Sesshomaru continued to speak, his voice low and vibrant and his gaze finally moving ahead of them. "That staff of his was a powerful weapon, but not his only one. I've ordered him to leave you be." Usagi let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as soon as his eyes released hers, and nodded absently to his words. Much like Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had an intense gaze that she also found hard to meet; like he could see right through her. He didn't seem intimidated in the least by what had transpired when the Silver Imperium Crystal joined with her body, despite the fact that she could obviously harness its power without difficulty now, as she had proven when she had healed him and the others. He still did not consider her a threat, and she knew it.

"Where are we going?"

"There is a village a few miles ahead. Uriel is its leader. She works for me." He looked at her pointedly, and she immediately understood he meant she was a demon. He continued speaking as he turned away once more, his voice holding a disinterested tone that seemed authoritative at the same time. "She has the power to see things. You're going to let her touch you, and she will see the demon who attacked your kingdom. Whether she knows who it is or not, we'll go from there." Usagi nodded, but had stiffened slightly.

"And when she touches me, all she will be doing is using her power to see?" she questioned hesitantly. Sesshomaru stopped walking, as did Usagi, and they stood face to face merely a foot apart. He grinned indolently and his hand came up over her shoulder, gently pulling one of her streamers of hair forward as he slid his fingers through it and brought it up to his face, inhaling its scent.

"Afraid?" he all but purred. Usagi frowned even as she blushed, and smacked his hand so her hair fell out of his grasp.

"Stop doing things like that!" she spat out angrily, turning on her heel and starting away again. Sesshomaru chuckled and followed, and she surreptitiously glanced over her shoulder and inadvertently met Inuyasha's heated glare. Her blush darkened, and her eyes snapped forward.

"So long as I wish it," Sesshomaru continued, "no being in the western domain will harm a hair on your head." She looked at him, but his face had become expressionless. Her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Is that sort of thing particular to you and your brother, or will every demon I meet try to get away with being a pervert," Usagi asked acidly. Sesshomaru smirked.

"Demons," he finally began, "who take on a human form are more likely to appreciate human... activities." Usagi's eyebrow raised at the innuendo, and her lips compressed in a thin, disapproving line. Sesshomaru shrugged and his smirk became a languid smile as he stared intently into her eyes, enjoying her discomfort. "Why else take on such anatomically correct bodies?"

Usagi's eyes flashed in anger and she threw up her hands in a gesture of annoyance. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed. "Look," she thrust a finger into his chest as they once more stopped face to face, "you need to stop intentionally pushing my buttons." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, eyes on her offending finger. "Trying to provoke me isn't going to end up the way you seem to think it will, and I don't see why you..." her voice trailed off as his eyes slowly rose to her face, all traces of amusement gone. She swallowed as their amber depths narrowed, and his hand came up to tightly grasp her wrist as he leaned slightly towards her.

"Don't mistake me for my brother," he growled out, pulling her arm so she was forced closer. Their faces were inches apart, and her eyes widened in fear. "I'm willing to be indulgent to an extent since you fascinate me, but don't presume to know my intentions. Unlike Inuyasha, I have no moral hang-ups. If I decide I want you, in whatever manner, I'll have you. Regardless of your precious feelings." His other hand had risen to hold her chin, forcing her to keep her face raised to his. "Which by the way," he continued quietly, voice steely, "I'm willing to bet are just as fickle as any other human's." Usagi's face drained of color and she tried to pull away, but his grip merely tightened and he began to close the gap between them. Her eyes clenched shut, and all of a sudden she felt him ripped away from her. Opening her eyes in shock as she stumbled back, she saw Inuyasha being flung off of Sesshomaru, who had been knocked onto his back, only to do a somersault in mid-air and land crouched in a battle stance. Sesshomaru flipped himself up as well, and the brothers faced each other, ready to fight.

Her sudden panic subsiding now that she had been released, Usagi berated herself mentally for allowing Sesshomaru to get the better of her. Being fickle wasn't the same as being inexperienced, she thought angrily. And if there was anything she was inexperienced at, it was proximity to the opposite sex. She was, after all, a princess who had always been under guard and closely watched. Inuyasha suddenly leapt over Sesshomaru, who merely watched him contemptuously, and landed at her side, scooping her into his arms and leaping away so they were once again in the wake of the horses. He set her down wordlessly and somewhat roughly, beginning to walk once more as Sesshomaru continued on his way with Jaken at his side and the riders, exchanging meaningful glances, followed. Usagi matched her pace to Inuyasha, and they walked in silence for a while as she collected her thoughts.

Finally, she looked at him a bit dejectedly and sighed. "Thank you, Inuyasha." Her voice was so soft, even he barely heard.

Inuyasha glared at his brother's back, furious. His talk with Kaede, although forced by Usagi, had answered all of his questions and more. Kaede had explained everything regarding Kikyo, his entrapment, and what had occurred afterwards. What he had learned of Kikyo and the Shikon jewel had been upsetting, and shortly after Kaede had finished he had gruffly sent her back to ride with Miroku. He had been trapped against that tree for half a century, dormant but still very much alive. In that time, he had let Kikyo go. What Kaede had told him had given him a new sense of peace with that decision, once his mind had settled. As for the Shikon jewel, he supposed he would just have to let that go as well. As he was processing everything, he had been absently watching Usagi. He had been surprised at the flash of rage he had felt when Sesshomaru touched her hair so intimately, and at the brief relief he felt when she slapped him away. When her eyes met his after that moment, he realized it for what it was; jealousy. It caught him off guard. When Sesshomaru had touched her a second time and obviously brushed off her attempt to break free, Inuyasha snapped. Before he realized it, he had tackled his brother and swept her away.

He was angry. Irritated that he had become so attached in such a relatively small time, although he knew it could happen. His father and mother had shared one look and fallen madly in love, so she had been fond of telling him. She had said there was no specific point or passage in time that designated when someone became inextricably bound to someone else. It just happened before you realized it, and once you did, it was too late to do anything about it. Souls, she had told him, just knew 'this is my mate, forever.' He hadn't understood at the time. Hadn't really understood, even with Kikyo. But the thought was haunting him now. He didn't think he would call what he felt for Usagi love by any means, not yet at least, but he would be delusional to think he felt nothing. If he felt nothing, Sesshomaru's interest in her wouldn't matter. Nor would that idiotic human Miroku's, who had been making a fool out of himself to get her to laugh.

"You make it too easy for him," he bit out, frowning at her. She wouldn't meet his gaze. His frown deepened and his eyes slid down to the wrist she was covering with her other hand. He brushed it off and grabbed her fingers to raise it between them, looking over the dark imprints of Sesshomaru's fingers. "Can't you heal yourself like you did us back at that clearing?" he asked, his tone low and smoky again as his eyes finally caught and held her gaze. She shook her head slowly.

"It will heal faster than normal because of what I am, but I can't accelerate my own healing like I do other's." He nodded and dropped her hand, remaining silent and facing forward. Usagi watched him surreptitiously from beneath her lashes out of the corner of her eye, studying his profile. Sesshomaru was right. He was nothing like Inuyasha. He could feign a gentle nature, but Inuyasha actually had one, as buried as it was. From the moment she had seen him with an arrow piercing him through his heart and into that tree, she had felt drawn to him in a strange way. She didn't know what to make of it yet. His ears twitched suddenly, startling her out of her reverie.

"We're approaching a village," he stated. She looked up ahead, not seeing anything yet. "Might as well catch up to the others." They quickened their pace, coming abreast of the riders just as Sesshomaru came to a stop ahead of them. When the group caught up to him, he gestured in front of himself offhandedly, to the huts they could now make out dotting a hillside and following the bend of a river.

"Uriel lives on the outskirts of the village by the river." He directed his statement to Usagi, and his gaze settled on her alone. "Shall we?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. "Or would you like to bring the strays as well?"

"We all go." Usagi said, with no hesitation whatsoever. Sesshomaru remained expressionless, but his eyes glinted in amusement.

"Probably best," he said calmly. "We'll reach it by nightfall. We may be here a few days, depending on the circumstances." His eyes slid to Inuyasha, and his lips drew slowly into a smirk. "Also probably for the best. The following night is, after all, a new moon." Usagi felt Inuyasha tense slightly beside her, but he too was expressionless.

"What happens when there's a new moon?" she asked, wondering if she should be worried. Inuyasha brushed past her abruptly, headed to the village.

"Let's just get this over with," he growled. Sesshomaru's smirk became a smile as his brother passed him, and he turned to follow, Jaken at his heels. Kaede shook her head at Usagi's inquiring look, and waited for her to mount behind her before the rest of the group followed them.

* * *

AN: Reviews are appreciated. And confirm the dust has effectively been cleared off my story. It really won't happen again.


End file.
